Knock-on-wood
by LeMafiaKreb
Summary: My first story. Before time began, before the 6 clans settled in the overworld, two souls were created, opposite and equal. For many lifetimes they've fought, neither one overpowering the other. But now it looks like evil will turn up victorious. How will our hero succeed? Will help from his friends be enough? Or will darkness consume all? Cover art by GiggiEba. :)
1. A Beautiful Blue Sky.

Okay, some author's notes, just cuz. I have written various things before, but this will be my first fanfic. It will also be my first chartered and finished story, or at least that's the plan. I appreciate all forms of criticism, so please do leave some, if you can spare the time. Thank you so very much, and I hope you enjoy.

How beautiful.

The sky, the clouds, chasing one another.

Truly poetic.

Too bad it was wasted on me

I rested on a soft slope covered with grass, surrounded by trees that seemed to stretch on forever. My blank head and emotionless eyes took their time taking it all in. The sky, the trees, the grass, the smells, everything seemed so perfect. I didn't want to move.

Of course, me being a living being, my body groaned and told me to get up. Look for food and water, then you can gaze at everything all you want, for as long as you want.

Fine by me.

My head spun just a little, making me feel like I had been laying there for much longer than I thought. My muscles and joints seemed o agree, as they both whined in their own way. After managing to stand up slightly unevenly, I looked around once more. Not much to see, just more trees and grass. But sounds where everywhere. I could hear my own breathing, the distant moo and bleat, the rustle of the leaves on the trees, the sound of running water... huh. Water.

Well that's one problem solved.

I headed in the direction of the noise, still a bit groggy. The closer I got, the louder it was, and the thinner the forest grew. It suddenly stopped a couple meters from the edge of the river. I crouched down next to it and plunged my hand into the water, and regretted it instantly. It was ice cold, and the second my hand registered that, I pulled it out as fast as I could.

At least I didn't feel groggy anymore.

I dried my soaked on my clothes, which I had just noticed I had on. Just plain jeans and a cyan shirt, not much, but something.

Once I could feel my hand again, I searched my surroundings, hoping to see if there was something that could help my predicament. I saw a mountain range, from which the river emerged, which is probably why it's so cold. I saw more trees and grass, some sand, a couple wildflowers, and not much else.

Well actually... there was a couple of animals farther down the river, so I suppose that counted. Still, thirst was somewhat dealt with.

I wandered back into the woods, hoping to find something useful. I came across various stones and ferns, as well as a couple fallen logs.

Unsure of what else to do, I picked up a couple flowers and smelled them. I smiled at this fact. When in doubt, stop and smell the flowers. The sentence only broadened my smile, proud of what I formulated.

I set the plant life back on the ground, and looked around once again. My eyes wandered back to the stones on the ground. Most were round and lumpy, but a few were flant and sharp on the sides.

Perfect, exactly what I needed.

I picked up two of these stones and walked back to one of the fallen tree trunks. I raised one of the stones to my eye-level, and deciding that it out work well enough, and raised it even further, past my head and towards the beautiful sky.

Then, and with all my strength, I hacked at the fallen tree.

The impact with the tough wood actually stunned me for a moment, but I had managed to make a gash in it. When I tried to pull the stone from the trunk, a curved piece of bark fell. Intrigued, I picked it up and examined it. I supposed this could work as a bowl, or maybe a way to get some water from the river without freezing my hand off.

I tucked it away in one of my apparently large pockets, along with the second stone. I hacked away at the log for awhile longer before giving up. I had managed to get a few more pieces of bark, but none of them as large as the first one.

Once I had made it back to the river, I took the large piece of bark out of my pockets and crouched again. I took the piece of bark out and plunged it into the river, lifting it out before the icy liquid touched my fingers. As it wasn't exactly a bowl, the water quickly escaped and returned to the river.

I tried again, this time immediately drinking what water was left on the piece of bark.

Finally, some proper progress.

I drank for a while, as my throat had started to become parched. Once I was satisfied, I sat back on the grass and sand to rested for a little while.

Suddenly, a bright red globe fell on my head, bouncing once before coming to rest at the edge of the river if I had known any curses the, I probably would have cursed, but as I didn't, I just groaned.

I sat up and picked up the globe. Well, it wasn't a perfect globe. And it had a small stick on top. It smelled quite fine, and it's pretty red drew me in. I stared at it for a moment, just looking and smelling. Then, out of the blue, I put it to my mouth and bit. The skin gave way with a satisfying crunch, lovely and sweet on my tounge. I chewed it for awhile, savoring the taste.

Then I basicly went and ravaged it, leaving nothing but the stick and the core. It wasn't a large meal, but it was certainly delicious.

Sitting back down I realized where the sweet treat had come from. The tree above me was full of these red things, some bigger than others.

I promptly edged away from it, not wanting to get struck again.

I made myself comfortable, and looked to the beautiful blue sky.

Now, I had time to see all I wanted, and for as long as I wanted.

So how was it? Please leave reviews, as it will help me shape the story. I still have plenty o' fuel in the old steel forge, so I will make a couple more chapters from raw inspiration, wether or not it gets good reviews. From then on, only time will tell. Thank you for you time!


	2. A Sky Full Of Stars

AUTHOR'S NOTES

I did say that I was going to keep making chapters on my own accord, remember? And thus, here we are again, with this still unnamed character lying on the grass, just as we left him. Hope you enjoy.

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I took my time taking it all in. The sky was darkening, and the wind was slowing down.

The sun was gliding down, taking the beautiful aqua blue with it.

I have no idea how long I was laying there, but it was definitely peaceful and soothing.

Just above my head, a single pinprick of light appeared. Then another. And another, until there was hundreds of them littering the night sky.

I couldn't help but think that this might have been my new favorite thing to look at. Even better than clouds chasing each other.

And then I heard a groan. Then a rattle. And a hiss. A couple of hisses, actually, some different from each other. I reluctantly sat up and looked round.

And saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Suddenly, an arrow just zipped past me, barely missing my shoulder. I stood up and noticed a few things.

One, I COULD see, just not too well. Two, I saw multiple shapes lumbering among the woods. And three, I saw a manacing-looking skeleton with an equally as menacing bow.

I just stood there, as motionless as he. Then he started nocking another arrow into the bow.

I decided to leg it, just in time as well, because the skeleton missed by an inch.

Like most people, I didn't want to get impaled by a monster, so I decided that dodging around trees was probably a good idea. I didn't have any reason to look back, so I kept running until I found a smal cave.

At this point, I was panicking, having realized that the woods were filled with all sorts of monsters. More skeletons, rotting zombies, giant spiders, weird flying things, and even weirder hissy green things.

I had no idea what to do. I sat on the cold hard stone and put my head in between my knees.

At least I had some shelter. The cave wasn't deep, but it was sunk into the ground a little, so it served my current purpose just fine.

All the running and dodging had made me feel parched, and I really wanted another one of those red things.

I waited and listened, hoping that the monsters wouldn't find me. I heard more groans, rattles, and some hisses of variating types.

Then I heard a scream. A very femenine scream.

I tentatively looked up and out of my hiding place. I saw something being chased by all of the monsters, even the flying things were nipping at its head. Her head?

I really couldn't tell what it was. I mean, it could very well be a womanly man or something, so I wasn't sure. I also didn't know if I should help, or even if i could help.

I took both sharp stones from my pockets and ran, thinking that I was an absolute idiot but not caring anyways.

I was about to intercept it (he? Her?) when one of the flying things screeched at me, diving down to attack in the process. I looked up and bent just so to avoid it.

I was getting good at the whole avoidance thing.

I raced harder, and when I neared, I almost stopped in shock.

There was at least a hundred different monsters, not counting the flyers, all chasing the poor person. Most of them were zombies, but there was lots of everything else too.

The person in question had some sort of grey armor on, but it was tattered and dirty. There was a bow and an empty quiver on said persons back, as well as a knife strapped to the grey leggings.

I rushed forwards as fast as I could go, and I think the person heard me, cause they turned their head towards me.

I was met with beautiful grey eyes, and a scowl. I'm honestly not sure which one was prettier.

Now that I was closer, I could see that it was a girl, and that she was wounded. There was at least three arrows in different parts of her body, cuts and scrapes, bites on her shoulders and, surprisingly, burn marks. I was intrigued as to how she was still running.

I had no idea what to do, so I decided to ask her a question.

"Does this happen to you often?" The only response I got was another scowl and her almost pushing me into a tree.

I smiled despite the attempt at my assasination, and talked again. "Don't know about you, but I'd rather not die, and if you think the same, then you'll follow me."

I peeled off in the direction of the river, which I realized was pretty close. I had a fragment of a plan in my head.

I looked back for a second to see if she was following, and sure enough, I see a large mass of monsters and one girl running after me.

I ran as fast as I could but she still caught up to me, which was one hell of a surprise.

The sound of the river was getting nearer, so I turned to the girl. "How far can you jump?"

The surprise on her face made me laugh, which in turn made her angry again. I explained to her what I was planning to do.

"There is a river up ahead, and I think that if we jump across it and climb the hills that are on the other side, we just might make it." I looked at her to see if she agreed with my plan, and without turning, she nodded.

We both sped up until we could se the river through the forest.

I realized that the so called 'hills' were a bit steeper that I thought, but that didn't seem to faze the girl beside me.

Once we had exited the forest, the flying things got even nastier ands started to dive down more frequently. I kept dodging them, but the girl wasn't as fast, and got bit even more.

Just before we reached the edge, I started a countdown. "Ready? Three, two, one, Jump!"

She actually jumped a little bit early, but we both made it. Barely.

Once on the other side, her legs buckled and she fell. I was just about quick enough to grab her by the shoulders and waist, stopping her from falling. She immediately pushed me away though, causing her to fall anyway.

I was unsure as to what to do, seeing her lay on the ground with her eyes closed and a grimace on her face.

Then I heard splashing. Lots of splashing.

I turned around to find half of the mobs swimming with difficulty towards us.

Without hesitation, I lifted her by the arm and pushed her towards the nearest hill. "Run, as fast as you can!"

She reacted swiftly, and started sprinting to safety. The hill had a cave carved into it, and trees on the top. I signaled her towards the cave, and she didn't hesitate.

This one, unlike my first hiding spot, went deeper. However, it was still a bit submerged, so it was a great place to hide. The flying things tried to get in, but they kept getting trapped under the cave's relatively low ceiling before they fled.

The rest of the mobs seemed to have lost two things, one after the other; sight, then interest.

Once we were safe, the girl collapsed on the stone floor. She pretty much fell asleep once she hit the floor, which was understandable.

I got her into what I supposed was a more comfortable position, before removing her gear. She wore a plain white shirt and beige shorts beneath her armor, and her hair was a shining inky black. Her long lashes and pale skin were mesmerizing.

I piled all of her stuff in a faraway corner, and got myself comfortable near the entrance of the cave.

Once there, i decided to admire the sky before sleeping. It was just as beautiful as before the sudden fright. A sky full of stars.

I lied down, and stared for awhile, before finally closing my eyes, and falling asleep.

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Even more authors notes

How was this? Any Better?

Please, leave reviews so I can figure out if there is anything I should change.

Thank you for your time, I will post more because i actually like writing, or so it would seem.

Again, thank you, and good day.


	3. Delicious Red Things

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Alright, third entry. I think it's been going pretty well for the most part. Hope you enjoy.

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I was awoken by a very normal, and natural thing.

Hunger.

It just wouldn't leave me alone, so I decided to act upon it.

I stood up, sore from sleeping on the cold stone floor and walked outside. The sky was blue again, and all that was left of last night's chase was bones, flesh and potatoes, plus the occasional arrow and broken bow.

I decided to pick everything up seeing as some was probably useful, especially the potatoes. I wandered around the shore for a bit before finding what I was looking for.

A tree full of red globes. Unfortunately, it was on the other side of the river, so I was going to have to jump it again. Twice, actually.

I took a couple of steps back and ran at full speed towards the river. At the very edge I took a leap, crossing the distance easy, and landing on the other side. However, once there, I slipped on a small rock, and fell flat on my belly.

I stood up, as red in the face as the tasty fruits, and dusted myself off. I walked towards the tree and examined it.

I was just about too short to reach the tree's branches, so I had to find a way to 'get taller'.

I rummaged through my pockets until I came up with the largest bone I had found.

I pulled it out and held it up, using it to whack the red things out.

Whack* one

whack* two

whack* five

wha-* the bone cracked in half with a resonating crunch.

I stared at the broken bone, a little disappointed but still happy to have gotten some of them.

Now all I had to do was jump the river again. This time, though, I did it successfully.

I walked and climbed back to the cave, realizing that atop the hill was another tree full of the red balls. I felt pretty stupid.

Once inside, I started gobbling down three of the delicacies, leaving two for later. Then I remember something important.

I walked over to the deep end of the cave an lent against the wall, staring at the corner.

The girl from last night was still there, still sleeping, and still had lots of injuries. I looked at the opposite corner, seeing all of her gear neatly piled up.

I started rummaging through it, trying to find anything useful to her current predicament. All She had was dyed leather armor, a bow, an empty quiver, a large knife, and some bone meal. She also had dried meat and bottled water inside a little thigh-pack.

I looked back at the resting girl. She was seriously wounded, with bites and cuts everywhere, as well as three broken arrows on her body. One on her right shoulder, one on her left forearm and one on her right calf. The sheer amount of wounds made me wince.

She needed some sort of medical treatment, like bandages, but I didn't have anything that could help her. Then I turned to her stuff and had an idea.

I made an excecutive decision and scrapped her helmet in strips, so as to use the leather as crude bandages. I was considering tearing up her chest plate as well, but her leggings were in worse shape, so I chose to scrap that instead.

I had a total of 6 short bandages and 12 long bandages. I decided that i would wait for her to wake up before removing the arrows, but the minor scrapes and cuts I could treat.

I walked back down to the river and soaked 3 of the short scraps in the water. Then I climbed back up, and started cleaning the wounds. Her shirt had blood on it, and i was hesitant to check under it for any damage, so I left it for last.

Once all visible wounds were treated, i bandaged up the biggest with the long bandages, leaving three for the arrows. The other three short bandages I used for drying and cleaning the rest of her fair, pale skin.

Then came the time to check under her shirt.

I still found the thought off putting, as I didn't want her to wake up to me taking her shirt off. Nevertheless, I put the shame aside and lifted her shirt up to just before her chest. Her stomach was mostly ok, except for a couple more cuts and grazes. I cleaned those up and put her shirt back properly.

Once I was done, I dumped the dirty rags in the corner with her things and waited to see if she would wake up.

I spent a lot of time waiting, so much that no position was comfortable anymore, so I stood up and decided to check if there was anything useful I could do in the meantime.

Once the fresh air hit me, I got a lot of ideas, and i knew which one to start with. I climbed my way to the top of the hill to explore the area. From up here, everything looked very peaceful.

There was actually a lot of space up here, with only a few trees and large stones. I felt satisfied with this, so I walked back down, to the river's edge. I took out one of the small pieces of bark I had on me and crudely tilled the earth near the shore.

This had two reasons behind it, one: i could plant the potatoes I found, and two: the water was close enough that the potatoes would get watered constantly.

When I was done with that, I walked around the hill to see what was behind it.

I was not disappointed in the least.

A beautiful valley spread before me, and I seriously started to question my sight, because, how did I not see this from up top?

There was plains in the center, forests around the edges, stone cliff that arose form the right, and I could just about spot a lake at the farthest end.

Absolutely magnificent.

Impressed and satisfied, I climbed back into the cave to find the girl still sleeping, but a little better now. All of this added up to make me feel very happy. I left yet again on a different quest. The trees on the other side of the river had very little branches, and they were very high up, so there was no sticks on the floor.

But over here, the trees were different, shorter and with more branches. I got myself to the top of the cliff again and picked up as many sticks as I could carry. Then I brought everything into the cave.

I had 7 sticks, all very similar to each other. I pulled one of the flat stones from the day before out of my pockets, and chose a stick. It was the shortest and lightest of them.

I 'borrowed' the girls knife and made a cut through the stick. Then i shoved the stone inside of it. I also picked up one of the dirty leather rags and used it to tie the whole thing together.

Tadaa! I had made myself a very odd and flimsy-looking axe. Proud with my achievement, I walked outside and towards the trees atop the hill.

Once up there, I prepared myself next to a tree. I lifted the axe and swung with all of my might.

chunk!*

And again...

chunk!*

And then I took a step back to admire my work. The cut went all the way to the middle of the tree, and the axe still looked pretty solid. I took two more swings at it and then the whole thing snapped.

With a thunderous crack, the tree came down to earth, breaking apart into three logs.

The force of the tree hitting the ground spooked me, and I ran into the cave to check on the girl.

Thankfully, neither the girl or the cave seemed to have suffered any damage.

I went back up and started hacking at one of the logs, breaking it apart into smaller logs and then into crude planks.

Apparently, everything I made looked crude.

I brought the twelve planks into the cave before I went back up to make more. Once the planks were all nicely stacked and the tree's branches were stripped and piled up, I sat down beside the sleeping girl to rest.

I ate both of the delicious red things that remained, then closed my eyes, and fell asleep.

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EVEN MORE AUTHOR'S NOTES

I actually like were this is going. If anyone thinks the same or thinks that something should be changed, leave a review to let me know.

Thank you for your time, and good day.

~ LeMafiaKreb.


	4. Sticks And Stones

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Hey, I got my first review!

Thank you so much GiggiEba for your time. Your review actually made get up and out of bed just to begin writing the fourth chapter.

Again, thank you, and hope you enjoy this one!

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It was at this point when I started to worry.

Another mob-filled night was spent in the cave, and in the morning, I noticed her breathing had gone ragged.

As all of this was new to me, I panicked, looking for something I could do or use to help.

I spent a good deal of time walking around in a panicky state, afraid for the girl whose name I didn't know.

Then again, I didn't know my own name, so I suppose that makes it even.

I got tired of basicly shambling along the forest, so I sat down in a patch of grass with tulips and marigolds. I remembered the first thing in this world that had made me smile.

'When in doubt, stop and smell the flowers'. This calmed me down a little and actually made me smile once again.

I picked up a beautiful orange tulip and sniffed at it. The natural smell of the flower along with that of the polen completely erased my nerves. However, it did nothing to soothe my worry.

All of my wandering had made me feel parched, and I pulled out my trusty bark-bowl. And suddenly, a wave of shame ran through me. Of course! She was another breathing, living being! She needed water and food as much as me!

I used the bark to gather some water from the river and carefully went up the hill towards the cave. Once there, I noticed another change in her.

She was shivering, and sweating, at the same time. I knew I should've just taken out those arrows earlier.

I managed to avoid panicking this time, however, since I was currently carrying precious cargo. I kneeled beside her and straightened her out with my one free hand, since she had somehow got herself into a ball.

Once she was settled again, I opened her mouth slightly and let the river's fresh water drip into her mouth. She didn't reject it, for which I am glad. Then came the part I had no idea what to do about.

Feeding her.

Up till this point, I had been eating those delicious red globes that sat on the branches of some trees. But I didn't know if she would be able to swallow something so hard, and crunchy, and juicy...

Mental note, need a private stash of red things.

I had an idea now. I took out my trusty stone-ish hatchet and walked over to the pile of planks and sticks. I took the widest plank and set it down in front of me. I raised my axe and brung it down on the middle point of the plank. I broke it cleanly in half.

Now I went outside and harvested a couple of the red fruits from the trees. I had collected a total of 7 tasty delights, and brought six back to the cave. The seventh hadn't made the trip.

I put one on each wooden board and pulled out a bone I collected, either from last night or the one before.

I raised the bone a little and started beating the nutrition out of the poor fruit. In a matter of seconds, it was reduced to pulp, and I removed the seeds, stick, and what was left of the core. I could probably plant those seeds later...

The mush that was left over was what I was going to feed the girl. I squashed the other thing and repeated the process, then I mixed them both on the same plank. I took it to the far for corner, where the girl lay.

I used a small stick as a spoon to gently shove some of the mush into her mouth, and I massaged her throat hoping that it would help her swallow.

Tenderly, I kept repeating the process until all of the stuff was gone. I also ended up tearing her leather chest plate into misshapen bandage-strips, like I had done with her helmet and leggings. I walked back to the girl and swapped all of her current bandages for fresh ones. Her wounds had mostly healed, and that calmed me down a little.

But I didn't know what to do with her apparent sickness. She was still shivering, and her forehead was hotter than it should be. Once again, I got an idea.

Unsure as to wether or not it was wrong, I tentatively picked her up. She unconsciously curled up to my chest, and the sight made my heart melt.

I carried her up the hill as carefully as I could to lay her in the sun, hoping it would help. My analysis told me that the darkness and cold stone floor were not helping her at all, and that laying on the grass and in the sun would fix that.

Once I was there, I slowly kneeled down and laid her on the grass. She looked more peaceful at least. Once that was done, I stared at the valley stretched before me.

I itched to explore it, but there was more pressing matters here.

I walked back to the cave and picked up all of the sticks and planks i had stacked there and brought them back up to the hill's crest.

I decided to distract myself by messing with the wood, thinking about what I could use it for. Having deeded that I was going to live down in the valley, I thought about making a temporary shelter for my downed 'friend'.

I picked her up again but I put her near the hill's edge so that I could cut down some of the trees. Once that was done, I chopped two of the trees, leaving two more on the hill. One of the trees split in half, while the other one split into four sections.

I lifted the halves onto the grass and into the dirt so they were parallel to each other, with a couple of meters in between. I used the quarts of the tree on the other side, one behind each half, and two in between those. The branches of the trees were full of foliage, so I used them for the 'roof' of the shelter.

Doing this took me so long that the sun was staring to set. I hastily moved her from her current location to the makeshift shelter. She squirmed a little at the sudden move, but once she was under the crude roof, she seemed pretty comfortable. Happy at my achievement but still on edge, I covered up the entrance with more sticks and planks so as to protect her from the mobs.

I quickly slid down the hill towards the cave and dove in. Doing this hurt, but not as much as I had expected it to. My heart was pounding hard a million times a second.

I ate another two red balls to try to calm myself down, but the only thing I achieved was choking on the tasty fruits. Then I remembered a minute detail.

I crawled to a corner of the cave and encountered the girl's stuff, or what was left of it. It was really only her boots, bow, quiver, knife and pack at this point. The pack that she had strapped to her leggings when I met her. Or, like, encountered her I suppose.

Inside the pack were a couple of water bottles and dried meat. I took a bottle of water out and slowly drank until it was empty. This helped soothe my nerves.

I slowly ate another fruit and rested among the sticks and stones in the cave. It was uncomfortable, but i was too tired to find a better place to sleep. I closed my eyes and dreamt for the first time since waking up.

I dreamt of fire.

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MORE AUTHOR'S NOTES

Oooo, now were getting into some backstory, oooo...

This is the earliest I have completed a chapter, and I'm not so sure on its turnout. The en seemed a bit rushed to me.

Anyway, thank you all for you time and have a good day!

~LeMafiaKreb


	5. Fever Dream

AUTHOR'S NOTES

I love writing : ). It makes me fell so childish and giddy whenever I start another chapter. Anyway, here is the fifth chapter in the series. Enjoy!

Oh, and by-the-by, this one is from the currently unnamed girl's perspective.

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It was cold. Very cold.

I was in a sombre forest with a black sky, and the only source of light was the ring of flame that peeked around the moon, indicating an eclipse.

The forest was misty and suffocating, so much so that I reached for my bow.

The one I didn't seem to have.

I panicked, and soon realized that it was not the only thing missing. I had no bow, no quiver, no armor, no gear. I was defenseless.

Cornered against a tree and afraid, I kept repeating the same thing over and over, trying to calm myself down; you are an elite skeleton archer, and archers don't show fear. You are an elite skeleton archer, and archers... don't...

I saw a looming shape in the distance, with hypnotizing purple eyes. It stretched its hand to me, and enticed me to hold on to it. I hesitated, and looked at the creature's face.

It simply nodded back at me.

I tentatively took its hand, and the ground beneath me shattered. Whatever it was, it lifted me up before I fell just like the forest. After just a few seconds, all that was left was an ocean of lava and the blackened sky. The creature lifted me to its shoulder and walked away.

It felt like I was standing atop a shadow, unable to tell if it was real or not. It brought me to a mountain range at the end of the lava ocean's edge. It took a step up and over, and it crossed the long and tall line of mountains.

It walked like that for a long time, wandering through dark forests and black deserts, until it came to a stop at a seemingly never-ending ocean. It slowly put me down on the beach, and when I turned to look at it, all that was left was two stars were it's eyes used to be.

I turned to the ocean.

Even through the darkness I could see that it was teeming with life, from small cod to large turtles.

But there was something wrong. All of the animals had a glazed look in their emotionless eyes. 'By all of the holy saints, they're sick. Everything, every last one of them. They're withering.' I turned and ran from the waters edge, as fast as I possibly could.

I ended up getting lost in another misty forest, so I sat down to catch my breath. Suddenly, I heard every tell-tale sign of mobs approaching. There must have been hundreds of them. I took off again, hoping that I could put enough distance between me and them to look for a way to defend myself. I felt my skin get scratched and bit, I felt as arrows dug into my limbs and torso, and I heard the explosion of a nearby creeper.

I kept running, as fast as possible, when I was met with another shadow-spirit. This one had beautiful gold-ringed hazel eyes, and was only taller than me by a couple of inches. This one, however, showed me a smug and captivating smile. It grabbed my hand with unreal tenderness and led me, still sprinting, to a nearby frozen river.

He kept his loving hold on my hand even as we jumped the river in unison. All of the mobs crashed through the ice and fell in the water. The spirit guided me through steep hills and tall forests.

Until we arrived at a flat plain. Then, just like the last one, it disappeared leaving nothing but stars were it's eyes used to be. I looked around, hoping to find something useful. Then I saw two people. The same hazel-eyed spirit, and a shorter silver-eyed one. The latter I recognized instantly. I mean, it's really hard to forget someone as important as...

As yourself.

I saw them both begin to cut down trees and placing them on the ground. The longer I looked, the faster they seemed to build. They acomplished a small square of a building when a third shadow-spirit arrived. This is another that I recognized.

It was the same as the one that had brought me to the seashore, the purple-eyed one. However, this time it was just about as tall as the hazel-eyed spirit. All three of them worked together to expand their little house, or hut, or whatever.

Then a fourth spirit showed up. And a fifth. More kept appearing, until there was ten spirits helping to build up the house, all of them of different sizes and of different eye colors. Their structure became a beautiful three-story place, with probably around ten rooms and a penthouse on top.

They also had managed to make a farm with tall wheat fields, and lots of apple trees. And I mean, an obscene amount of apple trees. They kept building, from a railway to an airfield with airships to match. They built a dock near the lake and a little house on a tiny island in the middle of it. They wouldn't stop.

Then they all disappeared, every last one, and the ground shattered once again.

But this time, there was no spirit to help me up.

I fell unto the merciless lava and felt as it singed my skin and burned me to a crisp.

Suddenly, the hazel-eyed spirit teleported beside me, and held me in his arms as we were teleported away again.

He held me for a long time, just looking straight into my eyes with loving devotion. I kept slipping into and out of consciousness.

But he never let go.

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I opened my eyes one more time and found myself laying on a cold stone floor, under a low stone ceiling with bandages all over my skin. It was raining heavily outside. And I was under the cover of a soft wool blanket.

I was already forgetting everything that happened during my fever dream. Then I noticed more things. Or the lack of them. My gear was gone, my weapons and armor nowhere to be found. I jumped up and stood, frantically looking around for a culprit.

Then I found one, a sleeping shape that laid nearby.

I skipped over and shook him, lifting him up by his collar. He was shocked awake and I stared into somehow familiar gold-ringed hazel eyes. A spike of anger surged through me and I uttered the one thing I could think of.

"Where is my bow?"

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POV Change to our unnamed male character.

I woke up sweating and with my heart pounding a thousand times a second. My uncomfortable dream was interrupted by a horrible dream of fire and death. I couldn't really remember any of the details anymore, but at least I knew none of it was real. Had to be a dream.

I stood up, exited the cave and climbed the hill to check on my injured friend. She seemed fine, better than she had last night. I decided to take her arrows out now that she looked better. It pained me to do so, but it had to be done, the sooner the better.

It took awhile, but I carefully pulled out the arrows, cleaned the wounds and bandaged them up with crude leather strips. Once I was satisfied with my work, I slid down the hill to explore.

There was two things that I found interesting down here, a sheep and an apparently fully working bow on the floor. In picked it up and took an arrow out of my pockets.

As I had no experience with bows, I decided to walk a few ways away to practice my aim on a tree so as to not scare the sheep. I spent a long time aiming and firing at the same tree, getting slightly better with each shot. It was about noon when I decided that my accuracy was 'sufficient'.

I crawled my way towards the sheep I found earlier. On my knees, I slowly nocked an arrow into my batered old bow and pulled back on the string. The sheep turned its crossed eyes at me and bleat.

I let go of the string.

The arrow sailed through the air until it landed on soft flesh. The sheep just sort of fell on its side, and it's crossed eyes closed. Sadly and a little squeamish, I collected the sheep's wool and it's meat.

It's not like I could cook it, or whatever, but didn't want it to go to waste. Once I was done with that, the rest of the sheep suddenly disappeared. Weird, but oh well.

I walked back to the cave and decided that I could make something useful with the wool. I sorta just bunched it up and then flattened it with a thick wooden stick. This crude wool blanket was surely going to help the sleeping girl when it comes to warmth.

I cut a few strips off so that I could use them to replace her old bandages. I brought my soft cargo up to the girl, who was still sleeping under the makeshift shelter. I pulled her out so that I could swap her bandages, and once I was done, I put her back under and covered her with the newly made blanket.

Satisfied with today's work, I collected a few of the red things from a nearby tree and gorged myself on them.

Then a small drop of water landed on my face. Then another, and then it seemed like the whole sky let loose. I quickly picked up the resting girl and brought her with me in the cave. By then, the sky was pouring water like it had sprung a hundred leaks.

I put her down slowly at the end of the cave and sat beside her. I had a strip of wool left, and it somehow had managed to stay dry even under this monsoon. I used it to dry the poor girl's forehead and skin.

All of this hunting and wandering and running had left me exhausted. I just sat there, leaning against the cave's wall. I got myself into a more comfortable position by laying down on the floor. I fell asleep rather quickly, but this time, I had no dreams.

It felt like I had closed my eyes for only a few minutes when I was suddenly jerked awake by a certain someone.

I opened my eyes in shock. They were met with gorgeous light grey eyes, a an equally as beautiful scowl of of anger. She spit out four words with an amount of poison I thought unimaginable.

"Where is my bow?"

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YET AGAIN, MORE AUTHOR'S NOTES

Yaay, she finally opened her eyes! And mouth, I suppose. About time, huh?

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this weird soup of a chapter. Who could all of those shadow-spirits be? What had the male character's dream meant? Ha! Only I know!

Also, there is going to be multiple divisions. The v's indicate the beginning and end of the chapter, while the w's are usually changes in perspective. What do you guys think?

Also also, this is the longest chapter I have ever written, at almost two thousand words!

Again, hope you enjoyed, thank you for your time and have a good day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	6. Baby Steps

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Author still giddy as f*ck

Goddamit, I only have two reviews, and they are from the same awesome person, and every time I reread them I get giddy as f*ck and itchy to keep writing!

Thank you so very much GiggiEba for both your reviews! By-the-by, I am having a case of preparedtohavesomanycharactersthathalfofthemdonthavenames-ititis.

So, would you like for me to use your name- or rather, 'last' name (Eba), for a female character?

Of course, only with your consent.

Anyway, this has already stretched for too long. On with the story!

Hope you guys enjoy! =)

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I was still half asleep, but I just barely managed to catch what she said.

"Ugh.. over... over there... I think... in the corner..."

The girl that was currently holding me by the neck of my shirt let go and ran towards the corner where I had stacked her stuff. She quickly picked up her bow and her knife and fluently slid towards me, lightly pressing her knife against my neck. This made wake up faster than you would believe, so I stood as still as possible.

This kind of situation called for diplomatic solutions.

"Woah, hey, what are you doing?"

She spoke for the second time so far, and I'm sure that her voice would have seemed soft and captivating if it wasn't full of rage and she weren't literally holding a knife to my throat.

"Who gave you permission to take my stuff? And what did you do to my armor?

"I ehhh..." I looked to the side, making sure that it looked as comical as possible, "I might've... kind of... y'know... scrapped it so I could use the leather as bandages for You wounds?" This last bit I stated kind of fast just so I could be done with it.

That, however, only made her furious.

"Say that again, and slowly." I looked into her gorgeous light grey eyes and spoke softly.

"I helped you. And cared for you while you were sick. The armor was in the way, so I salvaged it to use the leather as bandages for your injuries."

The change in confidence kept in the words took her by surprise, probably even more than the change in the words themselves. She reluctantly let me go and watched as I sat up, leaning against the stone wall of the cave

It was still raining heavily outside, so there was really nowhere to go. We just sat there on opposite corners of the cave.

"Why did you help me? You could've just left me to die without looking back."

I smiled and replied "because the mobs were chasing you. I imagined you felt just as scared as I did, so I decided to help."

She looked into my eyes this time, searching for a small inkling of hesitation or proof of a lie.

When she didn't find any she asked something else. "How long was I out?"

"Just about two days. Maybe three."

She looked a bit disheartened by this, but she kept on talking, which was nice. Her voice was melodic and soothing... just like I thought it would be.

"How did you keep me from catching a fever?"

I felt ashamed of this, so I stared at the ground as I talked. "Well, I didn't. I'm pretty sure you got sick by the second morning, so I took out the arrows that were lodged into you. That seemed to fix it, cause you don't look sick anymore."

"Yes, that's true. Skeletons don't get sick unless an open, uncovered wound is still present."

This marveled me, and I decided to ask a few questions of my own. "You're a skeleton? But not like the ones outside? How come?"

The shower of questions seemed to make her fell uncomfortable, so I waited before making any more.

After a while, she answered. "Every thousandth or so monster is born with though, and feeling. Is born human, like the villagers. The rest of the mobs feel threatened and jealous by this, and attack all human mobs on sight. Over the years, more and more human mobs gathered together and made clans based on their attributes and appearances. The skeletons, skilled marksmen, the zombies, healers and plague doctors, the spiders, cunning trappers, the endermen, astounding builders, the creepers, tinkerers and forgers, the slimes, miners and explorers. The nether mobs stay there to guard the nether fortress from any unwelcome intrusion."

I absorbed every detail slowly and asked another question. "So you are a skeleton archer. What were you doing here?"

She looked me straight in the aye and answered curtly. "Hunting And exploring"

Still curious, I pushed my luck as far as it would go. "How far away is your clan?"

"A long ways away. I spent five nights of constant travel and little sleep to get here."

This just confused me further. "What is so important out here that you had to travel nonstop for five days?"

"None of your business." She then turned and leant against the wall facing away from me, effectively stopping the meet-and-greet.

At least she was awake now, so progress had been made. Baby steps, baby steps...

I got myself into a comfortable position on the floor once more and closed my eyes.

"Aren't you afraid that I'll kill you in your sleep?"

I opened one eye towards the speaker. "Should I be? Cause you don't look like the kind of person to just kill other people in their sleep." I closed my eye again and slept, undisturbed and unkilled.

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Skeleton girl's POV

Just like that. He fell asleep. I was stunned at his words and at his carefree attitude.

Now I really wanted to kill him in his sleep.

He was a few inches taller than me, and he didn't look very strong. It surprised me how he had managed to stay alive.

I looked around the rough cave. There wasn't much, not even stalactites or ores, it was just a plain stone cave. Dull and boring. I looked through my pack and discovered that I was down a bottle of water, but I still had all of my beef jerky. Slightly irritated but relieved, I picked up my bow and examined it.

It still had all of its carvings, and there was not a scratch or fingerprint on the wood. Satisfied, I tenderly put it down and got myself comfortable. There was a nagging in my head that made it difficult to sleep.

Those hazel eyes of his, they seemed awfully familiar.

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So far unnamed male's POV

I woke up to the smell of smoke and meat. I groggily lifted my head and found that the skeleton girl was hunched over a small spit and roasting some sort of animal steak.

"Um. Hi. Or, good morning I guess." She didn't respond immediately to this, but after a while she turned to me with a disapproving look.

"You didn't even have a spit or a fire going. How did you make it for so long?"

I smiled lightly. "I kept eating those red things on the trees. They're very juicy."

Now that I think about it, that last statement was kind of stupid.

However, I could tell that her lips tugged upward just a little before coming back down. "You mean apples?"

I blinked. " is'at what they're called?"

"Yes."

"Then yeah, I've been eating nothing but apples for five days straight."

She took one of the steaks from the spit and put it on a wooden board that still had some crushed apple around its edges.

"Here, try it."

I tentatively took a bite of the hot meal, and chewed. Not the best, but as of right now it was pretty darn good. "This is nice. I like it."

This time she visibly smiled, and her cheeks reddened just a little. Like, a single layer of skin changed color by the smallest posible degree.

I searched my pockets and came up with the two chunks of meat I had gathered from a sheep yesterday. Surpriseingly, they still looked and smelled fine.

"Think you could cook these?"

She turned from her task to look at the meat, and her eyes lit up. "Of course I can. Why didn't you tell me you had mutton?" I smiled and responded with a playful tone, "uhh, cause I was asleep? And last night you seemed very busy with the intent to kill me."

I handed her the steaks and she shoved the spit's rod through them. She ate the steak that she was already cooking, and we both waited in anticipation for the meat to roast.

Once it was done, we ate it slowly and with true enjoyment. After our meal, she asked me something.

"I saw a small shelter on top of the hill. Did you build that? By yourself?"

This was a weird question, and I answered a bit confused. "Yeah. Why is that so surprising?"

"Well..." she rolled her eyes toward another direction. "My people are strong warriors, but even we can't build something like that by ourselves. Only endermen and spiders can."

This made me laugh a little. "Are we talking about the same crude shelter up there?"

My laugh seemed to soothe and anger the girl at the same time, so she turned away. I remembered an important detail and asked her another question.

"What's you name, by the way?"

She looked at me from the corner of her eye and sighed. "Sarah. Yours?"

I looked out towards the forest and the sky. And contemplated this. "Not sure... I can't exactly remember... but I think it was something like... Thomas?" I felt that this wasn't quite right, but it served its current purpose.

She looked at we in a weird way. "What do you mean you can't remember? Did your parents not tell you or something?"

"Well, not exactly. I don't think I even have parents. I just woke up in the forest with nothing but the clothes I'm wearing."

"Really? You don't belong to a village or a clan?" She seemed to think this was an impossible feat, which made me smile.

"Really. Like I said, I'm not sure if Thomas even is my name. I just sort of woke up."

"Hmm." This sound was probably an 'oh well' kind of hmm, but it sounded more like an 'interesting' kind of hmm.

I spoke up again. "Did you see the valley? The one directly behind the hill?"

She considered this for a moment. "You mean the one with the forests and the lake?"

"That's the one. I want to go there. Seems like a nice place to settle down, build a bigger and better house."

She 'hmm'ed again and nodded. We stayed like that for a little while. Then, she picked up her stuff and stomped out the fire.

"The sooner we move, the better."

This took me aback a little. "I thought you were on some personal mission? I mean, I'm glad for the company, but I honestly thought that you were gonna leave once the rain had stopped."

She timidly smiled. "It's been too long. I failed, so I have no choice but to stick with you. Come on, time's wasting."

Her words stunned me, and I kept thinking them over as we exited the cave and rounded the hill. It's been too long? So why couldn't she go back to her clan? All of this was confusing. What was her goal?

I kept my mouth shut as we began our trek through the hills and towards the valley.

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MORE AUTHOR'S NOTES

Finally some progress! And mystery! And soon-to-be-written lore!

I need character names, so I'll ask my readers to submit names for: 4 female characters and one male character. I have some names but I still need these five. Plis halp!

Also, school started back up, so it may take longer for me to write chapters, but we have a weekend coming soon, so I'll divert all of my free time to the story. Cuz I like writing.

Also also, this is my second two thousand-ish word chapter! Yay!

Anyway, thank you so much for your time, and good day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	7. A Day Spent Walking

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Whaaat?!? Two chapters in one day? I seem to have contradicted myself!

Oh well. This kind of chapters, 'a day spent (blank)' will be used for minor character development, the building up of lore and as a stanstill in plot progress, as well as just random funnies and conversations.

On with the story!

oh, and Sarah's starting this time.

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We walked in silence for a few hours and once we arrived at the edge of the valley, Thomas spoke up again.

"Could you tell me more about the clans? Their rules and such?"

I had an inkling that he had an alteria motive, but I answered nonetheless.

"The clans have had a truce since the beginning of time, helping each other. The endermen built castles and homes, the creepers terraformed the land, the zombies kept everyone healthy, the slimes brought materials and scouted out areas for building, while the skeletons and spiders protected them all.

"There are only a couple of rules, and they vary from clan to clan. The few universal rules are 'one must not attack unless attacked', 'one must not portray others as inferior because of their race', and 'one shall not be forced apart from their loved ones'. Every clan respects them, even the nether clans. But the rest of the rules are always different. I only know the ones from my own clan."

At this point, the land was slowly descending into an incline, and it became more of a struggle to keep our feet on the ground.

I stoped talking and noticed Thomas was deep in thought. I gazed at him for some time, looking into his captivating, gold-ringed hazel eyes...

I cursed myself for staring and I felt my skin aglow. This only made me more frustrated, so I kicked a rock in my path. That broke Thomas from his stupor, and he asked something else.

"Do you guys have allies that you're more... allied to?"

His moment of hesitation made me smile, forgetting about my recent bout of anger.

"Yes, the spiders and the endermen, but every clan gets along with the endermen."

"What do you know of the spiders?"

"Not a lot. They taught us some of their legends and myths as well as our joined battles, but not much else. Their clan base is located in a large ravine, hanging from the ceiling. They are fierce fighters and smart trappers. They place all sorts of traps for monsters and animals.

Their proudest feat, though, is the taming of phantoms." I answered his question before it materialized. "Those manta-ray flying things that show up at night are phantoms. The spiders managed to tame them, and use them as scouts or keep them as pets. I had a friend who owned a phantom. She was a slippery little thing." She fondly recalled mornings of happy playing with her friend, chasing the little phantom this way and that, dodging it when it 'attacked'.

"However, I'm not really educated in how they go about doing this, or their laws. Sorry."

I turned towards him again, and he nodded. I turned away again, and asked my own question. "Why are you interested in these laws?"

I could hear the smile in his voice. "Just your run-of-the-mill, old-fashioned curiosity."

My only response was a skeptical 'hmmph'.

We kept walking in silence, heading deeper and deeper into the inclined forest. Then he asked again.

"What about the endermen? What do you know of them?"

"Again, not much. They only taught us of battles were we defended them and about their most wonderful buildings. Not their laws."

He looked like he was formulating another question, so I waited for him.

"How do the different clan's people look like? Do they look like the mobs that spawn at night?"

"Only vaguely. Creepers are very forward and headstrong, but the only visible feature that makes them similar to actual creepers is their eye color. That's kind of the way it works. Skeletons have light blue eyes, endermen have magenta eyes, creepers have dark green, slimes have light green, spiders have crimson or maroon and zombies have dark-colored eyes. Endermen are the tallest mob, the tallest probably a few inches taller than you. The cave spiders are usually the shortest mob.

Slimes actually have a light green tinge to their skin, and are more resilient when it comes to damage. Zombies have a kind of genetic disease, and in the years that they spent trying to cure it, they became the best healers and plague doctors around. However, they rarely stray from their fortresses.

The endermen don't have a specific base, they just teleport this way and that, building structures for no reason. The most common place to find them is the Globe Chapel, their most magnificent building."

All of this walking and talking had left me parched, so I took a bottle of water from the pack strapped to my thigh. Without the armor, the leather from the pack was a little irritating on my skin, but I dealt with it.

Once I was done drinking, I put the bottle away and kept talking.

"The endermen are known for being calm people, but if their structures or families are in danger, they become as fierce as the spiders. The most common way to distinguish mobs is the armor and clothes. Endermen have hoodies and jumpsuits so that they can carry all of their materials.

The creepers wear camouflage green clothes and armor, as well as belts to carry all of their explosives and tools.

Spiders like to wear leather skin-tight clothes, but some of them prefer to wear hoodies like the endermen. Cave spiders usually wear a dark blue instead of black.

Slimes wear plain light green clothes and armor. They always have some sort of pack in which they carry some tools and equipment.

Zombies wear dark green and blue robes, and their plague doctors have a kind of mask that resembles a crested skull.

And skeletons wear grey armor and clothes. We prefer leather and shorts because of the mobility they grant. Creepers are the most heavily armored bunch. Slimes rarely use weapons or armor."

His queries were exhausting, so I stopped there. He seemed satisfied with the information I gave him, so he didn't press.

I was happy with that.

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Thomas's POV

None of this answered my particular question, but it at least game me something to chew on. There was also a lot more things I wanted to ask. Of course, I wasn't gonna let her know I had been looking for something, so I tried to look as happy as possible.

Apparently I was pretty good with poker faces.

We kept walking for a little while, and my curiosity got the better of me. I knew Sarah was tired, but I just wanted to know.

"Hey, could you tell me a story? Like, a legend or battle or something? That you learned from your clan?"

I was a bit worried when she didn't answer right away, but she sighed and started talking. Or rather, asking.

"Which one do you want to hear? I can tell you a few from the spiders and endermen, one from the zombies and some from the skeletons. I know only some myths and a couple battles."

I was far more interested in the folklore than the battles.

"Could you tell me a legend from the skeletons?"

"Alright." She cleared her throat and began the tale. "My clan's most famous legend is that of our alliance with the spiders, and the creation of the third universal rule.

It is said that after the beginning of time, the six clans were still very new, and the first leaders had passed away. The clans were still struggling with the election of kings and queens, and so far the specific clan's council was who decided.

During a mob raid on our people, a young archer whose name was forgotten on the wind, was injured in the heat of battle. A fierce undead warrior raised his sword to strike down the archer.

But the blow never came.

A spider with hair the color of the raging sun had protected him with her sword. The large enemy was taken aback by the sudden arrival of his new enemy, but he wasted no time preparing another attack.

The young archer held on to his consciousness long enough to nock an arrow into the bow. The spider was rapidly losing the fight, her element of surprise depleted. The archer raised his bow, pulled back and let go of the string.

The arrow flew true and hit their assailant in the neck, perforating it.

With their foe finally down, the spider knelt next to the dying archer. She healed his wounds as best as he could, using her silk to make bandages. She helped him walk to the nearest safety quarters, and once there, she stayed by his side until he healed.

They were inseparable, and because of their valor and strength, the spider was claimed queen, and the archer king, to rule their corresponding clans.

But neither wanted to.

They decided that they would rule side by side, or not at all. The council of the clans thought it ludicrous for two different races to rule together. The young warriors fought hard against their families and against the council for acceptance, but none gave it. They decided to leave, and the clan's tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen.

The day they abandoned the clans, they claimed that a new rule should be added. 'One shall not be forced apart from their loved ones'. They vowed that until all of the clans accepted this, they would suffer plagues and droughts.

When they left, the clans, ashamed for their actions, declared the new rule true. A new king and queen of the skeletons and spiders were chosen, and time moved on. Since then, both clans remember the connection the two shared, and the prince of the skeletons always courts the princess of the spiders. It has been that way for as long as anyone can remember."

The story was captivating, and I loved the dramatic pauses. "You know, you'd make a great storyteller."

She smiled a beautiful smile and her cheeks turned a touch of crimson. "Thank you."

The sun was starting to set, so we had to find shelter quickly.

We stopped and decided to sleep atop a tree that, mind you, was difficult for me to climb. I thought that if we slept here I would surely fall, but Sarah told me that I was being ridiculous. It was quite nice, actually, and the mobs didn't seem to notice us.

But the real reason it was alright, was that Sarah slept next to me. She was Obviously embarrassed with our closeness, but she didn't complain. And frankly, neither did I.

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MORE AUTHOR'S NOTES

So! They arrived at the valley, we dove into some lore and found out that Sarah is good at storytelling!

The story is essentially consuming my soul, and every spare thought I have goes towards it. I may have a bit of a problem.

Also, I am determined to start another fanfic, but this one will be based on the lore. Essentially, it's gonna be a prequel. Yay! Not now, though, later.

Anywho, Thank you for your time, and have a good day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	8. Halfhearted Building

AUTHOR'S NOTES

The giddiness compels meeee! :D

Thank you so much for your review SuperTheDoodle! Not sure if I should be glad to know you have the same problem? And, yes, I thought that I might have the burning out issue, so I decided to write a 'schedule' of sorts.

It's essentially a loose lead of what the milestones in the story are.

Also, thank you for your continued support GiggiEba, you are awesome! Glad to know you're enjoying the content so far!

Anyway, on with the story! Thomas is starting this time.

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I woke up with something smooth and warm leaning against me. Hence why I didn't want to move.

I had no idea what it was, just that it was very comfortable. So I opened my groggy eyes...

And looked into Sarah's just as sleepy grey ones

We both were shocked awake, and she quickly stood up on a higher branch. I wasn't as agile, so instead of landing higher on the tree, I landed on a lower branch. And an even lower one, hitting every branch on my way down.

I landed with a pathetic thud, and groaned from all the impacts. I looked up to see Sarah staring at me with concern. When she realized that I was looking she quickly changed her look of worry to a scowl, her cheeks reddening just so.

She looked awfully cute.

She easily jumped down from the tree and landed beside me. "That should teach you to snuggle up to me, creep!" As she was saying this her cheeks reddened even more, visibly this time.

I groaned again and carefully sat up. "I didn't snuggle! You did! I was on the opposite side of the damn tree!"

Her grimace wavered a little, but held steady. She was as red as can be. Her only response was turning away from me and an indignified 'hmmph!'. I slowly got myself onto my feet and started collecting the branches that I had knocked down. No sense in letting them go to waste.

Once Sarah had visibly calmed down, I trodded over to her and spoke. "Hey, let's just forget about that, mmkay? We need to start building a shelter if we don't want the issue to repeat itself. C'mon, the plains are just over there." I walked a few steps and looked back to see if she was following

She hesitated a little, but then started reluctantly tagging along.

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I won't be specifying on whose POV this is because there is only two people so far! :D

Nope, can't be true.

I am a battle-hardened, Elite, Skeleton Acrcher!

I do not snuggle!

I don't. But he is right about me being on the parallel side to him. Must be a coincidence, must've been something that was bothering me in my sleep and it pushed me towards him. There is no other logical explanation.

Oh, for all the holy spirits's sakes, I'm gonna kill him one of these days.

We wandered for a little while until we exited the edge of the forest. The plains were beautiful, emerald grasses and fields of flowers extended throughout the land. Thomas was visibly exited by the latter, which was very funny.

sigh, it has been a long time since I thought something was funny.

Thomas heard and misinterpreted my sigh, believing it to be one of exasperation. He quickly composed himself and started walking out into the plains.

He pointed through the opposite forest. "Do you see that? I think it's a lake."

I squinted and sure enough, there was a relatively large water mass on the other side. Again, he was hiding his excitement, and although it did make me feel a little bad, I wasn't going to tell him. It was probably better if he didn't get overly giddy.

He lead us towards a large oak tree filled with red apples. He took out a very shoddy-looking axe and swung at the tree, leaving a deep mark in its trunk. I was surprised at the strength of the blow. He npmust have noticed, because he made and overly dramatic show of pulling the axe out and swinging it again. I rolled my eyes and started wandering off.

Then I heard a familiar voice yell 'timber!'. I turned around and realized that in the four seconds I turned around, he had managed to down the oak tree that that had probably been there for over a century. I also realized that the ancient oak tree was leaning towards me as it fell.

Thomas appeared at the edge of my vision in a flash, and he dove towards me, nocking me and him out of the way.

The tree shattered with a defeaning sound that that would have rivaled thunder, lifting dust and pieces of wood into the air, along with a few shining apples.

Once the dust cleared and we stopped coughing, both of us looked up at Thomas's achievement. The tall tree had broken into four chunks, each of equal length. The branches were mangled and broken, some of them split from the trunk entirely. I noticed that Thomas was still hanging on to me by my forearm, his grip soft and caring. I felt myself blush as I stepped away and screamed at him. "What were you thinking!? You could've killed me!"

He stepped back, hurt. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean for it to fall that way!" Then his eyes hardened, changing from visibly hurt to visibly upset. "In fact, why am I even apologizing? The tree fell on its own! If you hadn't been distracted, then you would've been fine! And it didn't even matter because I was there to save you! Just like I have done in the past! All I've done since meeting you was be there to protect you!" He pointed a judge mental finger in my direction as he spit out the last words.

I hated him for always being right. Now it was my turn to be visibly hurt. His gaze softened and he dropped his hand to his side. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for and rude. It was my fault for not warning you in time."

I looked at the ground and mumbled. "No, you're right. I shouldn't have been distracted. And I shouldn't have yelled at you when you have been nothing but helpful. It's just... a little in dignifying, to be saved all the time."

We both just stared at each other. He sighed and started towards the nearest chunk of log. "Can you help me? We need to move these logs into the right position to use them as supports for the shelter."

I walked towards him and helped him move the heavy log to the center of the plains. As we walked, I could feel the grasses and flowers tickling my legs and thighs, making me wish that Thomas hadn't scrapped my leggings. At least I still had my shorts and slightly bloody shirt. Some strands of my inky black hair got in the way of my vision, and I made a mental note to tie it in a ponytail. Usually my helmet kept this problem at bay, but well...

We dropped the log in place and Thomas started carving out a space in the dirt. "Ehh... could you see if you can bring another log?" His hesitation brought My hardheadedness to light. "Of course." I walked back toward the fallen tree, tieing my hair as I did.

I managed to drag the big chunk of log towards Thomas, all the while feeling him stare at me. I managed to drop it at his feet, beside the first log with had been lifted upright and into the hole he had carved out.

We spent the whole day logging trees, splitting some trunks in half to use as walls, and all the while I stayed put. I mean, I did help with the halfhearted building here and there, but it's not like I did much. I'm not an enderman, after all.

Then again, neither is he...

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Sarah spent most of the day wandering while I built up the shelter. It was simple, but I was still proud of it one I was finished.

It was a little short, but it stood. I stripped the bark on some of the tree trunks to use them as walls, and the branches and foliage were used to make the roof. Also, we now had a metric buttload of apples.

An I was quite happy with all of this. The shelter had a haphazard and crude door, made with a plank of wood placed on a hole in the side of the shelter. Sarah had tied her beautiful black hair into a short ponytail, and had removed the old bandages that she didn't really need.

I brought all of the leftover sticks and wood, as well as most of the apples, into the shelter. I stacked it all into neat piles on one side of the shelter. Then I stepped outside and called for Sarah. She arrived quickly, her knife out and eyes looking through the plains, expecting to see an enemy. I smiled in spite of the terrifying sight.

When she realized no mobs were around, she slowed down to meet me. "What happened?" "Nothing, just wanted to tell you that the shelter was done. It's getting dark, though, so we should head inside." I opened the 'door' for her, and she wandered inside without a word.

Once inside, she complained about it being dark. I offered her a stubby stick with a few leaves on the end, and she took it lightly indignified. Taking out her knife again, she picked up a stone. Sarah scraped the edge of the knife against the stone, causing a spark to emerge and light the leaves on the stick. She drove it into the earth and sat back, satisfied.

The light gave our small shelter a sombre mood, and I decided to kill the silence. "Uh, Sarah? Tell me a story? I mean... a legend." I felt a blush on my face, realizing how childish I probably sounded.

She smiled though, a beautiful and captivating smile. "Of course. Which one?" I thought for a moment, remembering all of the details of yesterday's storytelling. "You said that the legend you told me started 'after the beginning of time'. What did you mean?"

She thought for a moment too, hesitant as to how to answer. "Well, it's more of a myth than a legend, but okay.

Before time had started, and when the world was very new, the first monsters were spawned from soul sand, the only viable reasource at the moment. A skeleton, a zombie, a spider, a creeper, an enderman, and a slime.

The mobs walked their home, shaping everything in their path, from the trees to the mountains, creating life around them. They had been light spirits, mortal creatures of great compassion and loyalty. But when the sun set, and darkness fell, the spirit's darker side consumed their mortal bodies.

One night, the darkness within them took over, expelling them from their bodies and leaving them as shadow spirits, keeping their knowledge and compassion in their eyes. The monsters that roamed the land spawned more from the soul sand around them, and the shadow spirits did the same.

They created the first leaders, and passed on their knowledge to them. They taught endermen to build, skeletons to hunt, zombies to heal, spiders to trap, creepers to tinker, and slimes to mine.

The evil mobs became jealous of their structures and creations. So they sent a legion of their malevolent spawn. A great battle raged on, each ancestral leader fighting for his and her partners.

The leaders were successful because of their teamwork and intelligence. The mortal bodies of the evil spirits perished, and their monsters inherited the hate and jealousy they had for the shadow spirits.

This catalyst marks the beginning of time, and the reason why monsters hate mobs."

She yawned and curled up in the wool blanket I had made for her when she was sick. Just like that, she fell asleep. I was stunned and more than a little mistifyed. I just had to learn more about these clans. But not today. I got myself as comfortable as possible and followed suit, lulled by Sarah's steady and soft breathing.

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SOME MORE AUTHOR'S NOTES

Huzza! Another chapter delivered within a day! And over two thousand words, no less!

Thank you all for your time and support! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the lore it contained!

Anywho, thank you again for your time, and have a good day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	9. Big Mistake

Author's Notes

So! Another chapter is written, making this two in one day again! : P

This time I started cuz I had nothing else to do :D

Don't get used to it, though. School will be tougher next week, so I might only put up one a day.

Nevertheless, Enjoy!

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Thomas's POV

I woke up because a pesky ray of sunshine was crawling through a tiny hole in the wall.

Sarah was still sleeping soundly, so I left her like that. Once I exited the building, I got a little inspired by my surroundings. The valley was truly beautiful, with a mountain range shielding it from the outside, other that from were we arrived

I had forests stretching throughout the edges, and a shining lake within. The plains we were currently on consisted of mostly flat ground covered with long green grass and patches of wildflowers of different colors and shapes.

We needed a more permanent building, so I set out to chop more trees and gather some wood. I kept piling it up next to the shelter. I had cut about half a dozen trees when I started noticing that a few trunks were missing. On my last trip I noticed that Sara was outside, enjoying the fresh air.

"Mornin' Sunshine!" I spoke with a hint of sarcasm and more than a little amusement. "Looks like you could sleep through anything, huh?" She was in no mood for banter, so she simply 'hmmph'd again. That seems to be her primary method of communication.

"Hey, have you been stealing my tree trunks?" I asked her. She looked at me like I had grown a second head. "What? You do know I can't even lift one, right? How could I have stolen them?" I shrugged. "Fair 'nuff" she kept looking on as I piled the tree trunks. In total I had gathered almost thirty good-sized trunks, but I only had about twenty-something left.

"These will go towards expanding the shelter. I'll start chopping 'em up and turning them to planks to use as the floor. But... my axe thing is bound to break at some point, so I need you to use your knife to strip the thickest branches you can find so we can make more tools." She nodded, apparently still half asleep.

We got to work, and rather quickly I realized how soon we would need more trees.

Sarah ended up stripping all the branches, but she didn't complain once. The floor was about six meters by ten meters, which we both thought was rather large but alright. Then we needed walls. I decided that we would have to double stack the tree trunks, so gathering some sort of mud or clay was necessary.

I split the trunks in half so as have enough wood for the walls, but it turned out we would still need more. It didn't exactly help that more tree trunks somehow magically disappeared.

I managed to build up the lower half of the walls, with room for two doors. I still had three trunks left, but I needed the clay before I built up. We'd also need more wood for the roof. The night was fast approaching, so Sarah and I went into the shelter early.

We were about to hit the sack when we heard a scream. This reminded me of the time when I first met Sarah. She had been running from a massive horde of enemies at night. Hoping that wasn't the case this time, I ran out of the shelter with my trusty axe in hand.

Sarah was outside and beside me with a flash, her bow out. "Thomas, please tell me you have arrows on you." I searched through my apparently endless pockets and came up with seventeen arrows. "How did you get so many? And why hadn't you told me before? We could have been eating something other than apples for two days straight!" I ignored her bout of anger and charged towards the scream.

Suddenly, a tall girl with gorgeous magenta eyes and purple hair flowing from her black hoodie emerged from the trees. She saw me and yelped, beginning to turn away before she realized that her original problems had caught up with her.

Two zombies, one with a golden helmet, a Creeper, and a skeleton were chasing her with vigor. I dashed towards her and she suddenly disappeared, leaving nothing but purple dust particles.

I had no time to ponder this as the monsters changed target without a pause. I lifted my axe and swung, taking out the helmet zombie with one blow. The skeleton started to nock an arrow into his bow when another arrow sailed by, perforating his skull and defeating him.

The Creeper had caught up and was currently hissing and bloating when suddenly long and warm arms enveloped my body, teleporting me away. I was in a dark place for what must've been a split second, floating in this stranger's embrace.then we were teleported back to the valley, just behind the shelter and I watched as the Creeper blew up himself and the remaining zombie.

Sarah was facing away from my current position, and when she turned, she nicked an arrow into her bow with lightning speed, aiming it above my head.

"Let him go." She poke loud and clear, her light grey eyes emotionless. I looked up to see a very frightened girl with purple hair spilling from her hood. "Please! I'm sorry! I was just trying to help!" She hid behind me. She was almost my size, only a couple inches shorter.

"Sarah, put the bow down. Can't you see she's scared?" I spoke as softly as possible so I didn't scare the girl behind me. Sarah reluctantly put her bow down and tears started to well up on the corners of her eyes. "Fine. I'm sorry." I tried to walk up to her but the stranger wouldn't let me move. "Umm... could you let me go? It's fine. She won't hurt you, but we really need to get in the shelter if we want to stay that way." The girl nodded but didn't let go.

Sarah entered the shelter and I started walking, the strange girl still clinging to my back. Once we were inside, she seemed to visibly calm down.

I spoke up. "What were you doing out there?" The girl looked at me and mumbled. "I was making sculptures. I got distracted and the monsters found me." I was intrigued. "What were you making them with?" She averted her eyes and blushed. "I took some of your logs. I can't bring down trees to get my own. I'm sorry."

She was blushing furiously now. "Don't worry. It's fine. What's your name?" She hesitated. "Eba. It meant clever in ancient enderman." This is the first time Sarah spoke up. "You're an enderman. How could you not bring down a tree?" She edged away a little and mumbled again. "I don't have any tools. I only have my chisel and some food." Eba was astoundingly cute when she mumbled, and her blush hadn't toned down in the slightest.

I spoke softly. "Sarah, you don't have to be so rude." This made her blush. I found the situation quite funny. "What's... what's so funny?" Eba asked. I smiled and shook my head. "Nothing, Eba, it's fine." This seems to put her at ease, as well as Sarah.

I moved the wood and apples into one messy corner to make room for Eba. She hesitated for a little bit, unsure as to wether or not she wanted to leave my side. But eventually, Sarah convinced her to sleep there, assuring her that we were not going anywhere. She was surprisingly calm and patient with the endergirl. Once we got ourselves into comfortable positions, Sarah put the torch out.

Big, big mistake.

Eba immediately lost it, shrieking and thrashing until she found my leg and held on for dear life. "Woah, wait, calm down! It's alright!" Sarah lit the torch again wile I tried to soothe the girl clutching my leg in a vice grip.

Once the torch was back on, Eba began to calm down, breathing heavily. "Are you alright?" Sarah had a worried look on her face. "Yeah, I'm fine. Not sure about Eba, though."

She still held on to my leg, but she seemed calmer. "Uh... I'm... I'm fine. Please don't turn off the lights. It scares me." I smiled. "Don't worry. It's alright to be scared. And we won't turn off the lights if you don't want to." Sarah simply nodded.

"Thanks" then Eba crawled back slowly until she was back in her corner. I sighed and Sarah blinked sleepily. We both fell into a deep slumber very quickly.

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Sarah's POV

When I woke up I realized that Eba had at one point snuggled up to Thomas, hugging him from behind. This ticked me off for some reason, and I left the shelter without a word. I saw a glint in the distance and realized that the helmet a zombie was wearing had survived the blast.

I walked over and picked it up. It was marvelously crafted, smooth and curved, with three crests spanning the front to back of the helmet. I put it on, and it fit perfectly. Satisfied, I took out an arrow and my bow. I set out to the forest to hunt.

I was sick of apples.

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Thomas's POV

I woke up to a soft warmth holding me in an embrace.

Again.

I was surprised to find Eba spooning me from behind. I quickly and disbelieveingly crawled away, as fast as possible. My sudden movements woke Eba with a soft moan.

"Mmm. What?" She looked at me through half-lidded eyes. My expression must've scared her because she slowly opened them further and worriedly asked. "Are you ok? What happened?" I made an attempt at a smile. "N-nothing Eba, it's fine. How are you?"

"Mmm... I'm fine." She turned over and fell asleep again. Smiling, I stood up and exited. Once outside, I noticed that Sarah had been hunting. The only reason why I knew this was because she had built up a spit and was currently roasting three pieces of pork.

"Morning, sunshine." Her words were full of sarcasm laced with venom. "I hope I didn't wake you and your little friend. Did you sleep well?" She showed me a malevolent smile.

I tried to defend myself. "Sarah, you can't be angry at me! I didn't do anything! Please?" She looked away with another one of her scowls. "Aw, come on Sarah! Just... aw, dammit." I gave up and sat down beside her.

I noticed that she had something on her head, and I realized it was the golden helmet one of the zombies was wearing last night. "It looks good on you." I nodded at the helmet. She simply 'hmmph'd back.

Around her were three small wooden planks. She placed one piece of cooked pork on each one. "Here," She said, handing me two plates. "One for you and one for Eba." She didn't sound as angry anymore, so I nodded and brought one plate inside.

Eba was still fast asleep, so I just left the plate nearby. I went outside again and plopped down next to Sarah. We ate in silence.

I felt like I had to ask a question, or at least say something. "Where did you get the pork?" She answered curtly. "Hunting." I sighed and tried again. "It's pretty good. We're did you learn to cook?" This time she sighed. "My mom taught me. She also taught me how to fire a bow, and make a spit. She was an archer like me."

I kept pushing it, to keep the awkwardness away. "What happened to her?" This made her upset, but before I could apologize, she spoke up. "A zombie struck her down. My father couldn't make in time, but he avenged her. He gave me her bow." She stroked the carved wood of her bow, slowly. "I'll never forget her. She taught me so much. I never part from her bow... my bow. It reminds me of her."

This explained why she tried to kill me when she woke up without it a few days earlier.

"Sorry to hear that, Sarah." She simply 'mmm'd and continued eating. Eba suddenly walked out of the shelter with plate in hand. Timidly, she edged towards us and mumbled something, her cheeks growing red.

"More?"

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More Author's Notes

Another character finally arrived! And we learned why Sarah's so attached to her bow!

I hope you're satisfied With your character GiggiEba! Thanks for letting me use your name! Just because I'm a show off I'll describe the three characters so far : )

Thomas: 6'2, hazel eyes, dark brown hair, cyan shirt and plain jeans, crude axe

Sarah: 5'8, light grey eyes, Inky black hair, Grey shirt, denim shorts, bow, knife

Eba: 6', Magenta eyes, purple hair, black hoodie, black jeans, chisel?

There! I'm satisfied with this chapter. Hope you are too! :D

Thank you so much for your time and support, and have a good day!

~ LeMafiaKreb

Ps, I still need four female names...


	10. I Like Mutton

Author's Notes

Double-digits Boiz!

Alright! Time to get back to 'work'.

Away!

Eba's starting by-the-by

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The next couple of days were interesting.

Sarah was a lot more patient with me, which I like. But she was less patient with Thomas, which I didn't like.

Not sure why.

Thomas was nice all the time though. He even asked me to show him my sculptures. They weren't much good, but Thomas said he liked them. Every time he compliments my work I feel like the most important person in the world. And it's actually happened quite a lot, since we managed to finish the 'first room' of the house.

Sarah wasn't much help though.

She did get us more pork, which I enjoyed. And she helped put the clay in place. I found it when wandering around the lake's edge. Thomas had a huge smile on his face when I told him about it, and it made me blush. It seems to happen so often when I'm around him... *sigh*

I'm helping Sarah with the roof, because Thomas is taking a break and eating apples. He really likes apples. "What's with your blushing and sighing?" I turned around to look at Sarah as she asked this. "Ahhh... I uhh... don't... know? What your talking about?" I felt my face redden each second. It's so annoying. Why won't my face just stay like it is? Pretty.

"Ah ha". She had a skeptical look on her face, but we kept working. I like building. I've never met an enderman who doesn't. Then again, I don't really like meeting new people. It makes me nervous.

We finished the roof quickly despite Sarah's apparent lack of building skills. It was taller than the shelter, and bigger inside. Sarah put torches on the walls so that it wasn't dark.

I don't mind the dark, but I don't like it either.

Thomas asked Sarah if she could go hunting for sheep tomorrow. She said that she could, easily. I don't know what Thomas wants sheep for, but I know mutton is really good.

I asked Sarah if I could come too, and after a fer silent moments of her alternating between looking at me and at Thomas, she caved in. Yay!

I like mutton.

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Thomas

Once the girls were gone, I decided to get some work done inside the house. I decided that instead of tearing down the shelter, we could use it for storage, so I left all of the remaining building materials inside, except for six long and thick sticks and some planks. Oh, dammit and clay. Forgot the clay.

I went back inside and picked up some of the soft material. I also grabbed an apple, cause if we don't finish 'em they're gonna brown. Also, they're pretty good, so that too.

I placed three pairs of parallel sticks on one side of the house, facing the opposite wall. The I used clay to paste the sticks to the floor and planks to the sticks. This made some rather crude but still sturdy bed bases.

Now all I had to do was wait for Sarah and Eba to come home. Might as well get some farming in while I'm waiting...

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Sarah

We found a small flock of sheep. Six of them, to be precise. I knelt and aimed my bow at them. I had a quick thought before I fired though. "Uhh, Eba? You do know what I'm going to do, right?" Her skin took on a red shade, and I found it incredibly cute. "I-I know. I'm not a kid. I know where mutton comes from. It's alright." Satisfied, I lined up the shot, and the next three.

Then pulled back on the string and fired.

Before the first arrow had even struck it's target, I had already nocked the next arrow, and was in the process of firing. In rapid succession, I loaded and emptied the bow.

Three of the sheep fell, but the fourth managed to dodge my shot. No problem. Three is all that Thomas needed.

I turned around to look at Eba, and I almost lost it with laughter.

Her face was the definition of stupefact.

Her lips formed a small 'o', and her eyes were wide like a babie's. I smiled, and she blushed again, looking away this time. I walked over to my kills and Eba followed.

"How did you do that? How could you be so fast? I didn't even see you prepare the shots!" All the while I was smiling, proud to be the center of attention for once. I collected the mutton and Eba collected the wool. On the walk back, Eba asked something that caught me off guard.

"Can you teach me? To fire the bow, like, as fast as you?" It was my turn to be surprised, and it must've been evident in my face because she quickly continued. "I mean, if it's not too much trouble... I just... umm... I could teach you to carve." I smiled, and before I could speak, she spoke again. "Y'know, like, in exchange. You teach me to be fast with the bow and I teach you to carve." I nodded and spoke. "You don't have to Eba. I was going to say yes anyway." She blushed further. "Oh... ok..." she looked a bit disheartened, so I smiled and spoke again. "But I would love to learn to carve."

She smiled a beautiful smile. "Ok!" With that, she walked happily for the rest of the trip through the woods, a little ahead of me.

I shook my head, smile still plastered on my face and followed her.

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(Z's indicate either a skip in time or a skip of one night without change in perspective. In this case it's half an hour)

Thomas had been quite busy during our little outing.

He had made three bed bases with sticks and planks, as well as tilling some ground nearby. 'For a farm', he says. Eba delivered the wool to him while I started the fire and readied the spit. Her hands brushed with Thomas's, and they both stopped for a second, blushing just so. I found this slightly exasperating, but, oh well.

While the mutton was cooking, Thomas bunched up the wool and turned it into thin mattresses, so now we had proper places to sleep. I actually ended up having to cook FIVE of the seven mutton chops. Eba really does love mutton.

Once we were done eating, Thomas suggested that we should gather some more logs so that he could make tools. I reluctantly helped them with lugging the tree trunks around. I'm no enderman, and all this building is exhausting.

At least now we had beds.

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Thomas

Eba ate three mutton chops even before Sarah and I had finished ours. She then proceeded to puppy-eye us, and we caved in, giving her the rest of our meal.

I have no idea how she can keep such a beautiful figure by eating like that.

Don't get me wrong, Sarah is beautiful too. Dammit, now it feels like there's a but coming. Okay, they're both gorgeous and curvy. Now it sounds weird. Y'know what, I'm done. Gonna get back to work.

Sarah spent the rest of the day sharpening her knife and training with her bow. Eba helped me out with the farm, and we tilled an area almost the size of the house. I gathered some apple cores and planted them on one side, and I tasked Eba with gathering seeds and planting them on the other side.

It didn't take her long, seeing as we were literally surrounded with lush green grass. And flowers.

She warped back, almost scaring me to death. Her face turned bright red as she apologized, and I breathlessly told her that it was fine. I noticed that Sarah wasn't making a sound anymore, and when I looked at her, she quickly turned back to her training, her cheeks a light tinge of crimson. But I doubt she was blushing.

Pretty sure she was mad about something.

Honestly? Not my problem. I had to get all of these things planted anyways. But that image still nagged at me, even as I worked. Eba and I got everything planted rather quickly. It still took a couple of hours, but I expected it to take longer. I decided to talk to her, because maybe she knew more about her clan's legends and stuff.

"Um, Eba? How many legends and myths do you know about you clan?" She looked nervous as she spoke. "I... uh... not... not a lot... We're, ehh... supposed to hate water, right? Well there's this myth that, uh, says? Why we hate it. But, I don't. I like the water. It's shiny and clean." The whole time her cheeks retained the same level of blush, not too much, but enough to tell me that she knew it by heart. "Okay. Tell me." She looked at me in the eyes and blushed harder. "Oh... ok." Embarrassed, she looked down and began to talk.

"Ahem, well, uh, the clans... like, the leader? The original one. She didn't mind the water. But, like, a couple of uhhh... generations later, one of the leaders lost her partner in a storm. They had been on a boat in the water, and a storm hit. It supposedly turned the boat over and she never saw him again. It goes something like that. She hated water, so after a while the endermen in general began to hate water. I don't know... like, I don't remember what they had been doing on the boat, but it was something important. Sorry." She sighed, the blush toned down a little. "I'm not much good at storytelling."

I smiled at her. "It's fine. No problem, Eba." This apparently made her happy, and that made me happy. Sarah showed up out of nowhere. "What's going on?" I turned to look at her, startled. "Huh? Oh, nothing. Eba was telling me about me why endermen are supposed to hate water." She nodded thoughtfully. "Mmhmm, that's their most famous myth. The seventh queen and her partner were performing their marriage ceremony, which was held on boats in the ocean. Supposedly, a massive storm hit, and both the queen and her partner were swept under. The queen survived, but her partner was nowhere to be found."

Eba crumpled a little while Sarah told the story. I was incapable of helping her, because I was still transfixed on the story.

"The queen essentially declared war on the ocean, and proposed a law that endermen would hate the water as well. The clan's council never allowed this rule to pass, but some of the queen's followers thought it true. This caused some major civil unrest, but after a couple generations the tides smoothed over."

She had sat down beside me as she told the story, and now she turned to look at me. "It's one of their shortest myths, but it's also the most well-known." I nodded. "That's too bad about the queen's partner." She nodded too. "Yes, it's quite sad. She was devastated, or so I've been told."

Now Eba spoke up. "Ye-Yes, She... she was. She actually quit her position as queen, passing the mantle to her sister. The, uh, the council was horrified, but she had made her decision. She even refused to build. Eventually, she got very sick. But when the healers went to visit her though, she refused to drink anything. She died from dehydration." She had been mumbling the whole time, but at the end she spoke so softly that I almost didn't catch what she said.

She had tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. I hugged her, and she blushed, but she didn't resist. Sarah got up and sat on the other side of Eba, and hugged her too. We stayed like that for a while, watching the sun sink below the horizon.

I suppose it was time to test the beds.

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Author's Notes

Finished! I've officially made a double-digit fanfic! :D

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and the little bit of lore in it.

Also, I still need one female name guys...

Anyway, thank you so much for your time, and good day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	11. Screw This

Author's Notes

Time to continue this soul-consuming story.

I have nothing to announce, so unless I do, there will essentially be no author's notes.

Anyway, hope you like the content so far! Enjoy!

Simon will start (Who the hell is simon? Exactly.)

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I had been wandering for a long time. Not too long, but just about enough to know a few tricks.

For example, phantoms like flames. The nights that I had witnessed were beautiful, but dangerous. The monsters didn't bother me that much. Or at least the creepers didn't. The phantoms were alright. All I had to do was light a fire and they followed from above, like ducklings behind their mother.

Temporary loyalty at its finest. Heh. I had never used so many y's in one sentence.

I had been running for maybe about a year. And even so, I never felt any different. I heard stories of people hardening, and growing strong. But I don't feel that. I still feel like that scared boy that had to run from home.

I arrived at the edge of a valley, forests all along its borders and plains in the center. Even a lake off to the side. How quaint. Very nice. There is... a small house, I think. In the center of the valley. Two... no, three people were there, sitting around near a plot of farmland.

The monsters were coming out. They must've noticed, because they got up and started walking to their house. I saw a lone creeper slowly shamble towards them. I began to feel worried. The creeper cut off their entrance to the house, and more mobs began to appear. Two of the people kept their cool, but the third simply panicked and hid behind the tallest figure.

I was sure they weren't gonna make it. Not without help.

I put a torch to my right hand and snapped my fingers, lighting it up. Three nearby phantoms noticed, and started gliding in lazy circles around me. "Help them, fast." I spoke as gently as possible, and pointed towards the three shapes surrounded by mobs. The phantoms chirped and swooped down, flying as quickly as they could.

I had two choices. I could stay up here like a coward and watch, or I could follow the phantoms and help.

"Aw, screw this." I slid down the steep hill I was resting on and followed behind the phantoms, bringing out some of my gear.

This would be an ugly fight.

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Thomas

We didn't even have time to react. Within a few seconds, all sorts of monsters surrounded us from the forests, from the smallest spiders to the tallest endermen. A creeper was blocking our path to the house.

Sarah had her bow out and ready in the blink of an eye, and Eba was trying to hide behind me. I pulled out my trusty crude axe. The stone axe-head was starting to show cracks, so I knew it wouldn't last long.

The mobs seemed to relish and enjoy our terror... well, my fear and Eba's absolute horror. Sarah didn't show any emotions. She had her poker face on, but I could see in her eyes that she was scared. We all were.

The monsters walked slowly towards us, and the creeper at our door didn't move. Sarah had held off from shooting the creeper because our house was still withing blast range. Now she was aiming at the closest zombie. The skeletons within the monster's ranks had their bows at the ready and now aimed up, compensating for distance. There was nothing to hide behind or under.

Suddenly, an explosion rang out within the forest. A figure clad in a green hoodie was dashing forward. Three phantoms were flying low, biting at all nearby enemies. The figure threw red-colored sticks at the nearest clump of monsters. Sarah began firing as soon as she registered the first explosion.

Within seconds, she had managed to down three zombies and two skeletons. The endermen and spiders rushed us, and I got ready to fight them off. I was worried about Eba, and not just because of her safety. I knew she would get in the way once the monsters reached us, so I turned to her. "Eba, you need to go! Find a safer place, somewhere nearby. I'll call for you when this is over!" Her eyes widened in fear. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. Just go!" She nodded and warped away.

The spiders were almost upon us when the second explosion rang out. Then a third and fourth, one after the other. Whoever this guy is, he was packing some serious firepower. A spider jumped at me and I brung my axe down on it's head. It made a hideous *squelch* sound.

Sarah kept firing her bow, and I kept swinging my axe. The green fellow was shanking all nearby mobs with some sort of small knife as he ran. His apparent strategy was to keep most of the monsters far away by running in a circle at the edge of their ranks. He kept knifing mobs and throwing explosives at them. My axe finally broke after killing an enderman that had snuck up behind Sarah. I split his spine, and he emitted a bloodcurdling scream as he warped away. Sarah quickly handed me a weapon, her large hunting knife with a serrated edge.

The mob's numbers were dwindling, mostly thanks to our green friend and his phantoms. He had been holding a torch in his hand the whole time, pointing it in the direction of various mobs. Surprisingly, the few mobs that were left turned tail and ran, all of them except for the one at our door.

Sarah was about to shoot it with her bow when the green guy suddenly showed up in front of her. "I got this. Just stay calm", he spoke with a little uncertainty, but his voice was firm. He stared at the creeper, straight into its emotionless black eyes. And he hissed.

He hissed.

The creeper seemed as taken aback as we were, and it took a tentative step away. Then it hissed. And then the guy hissed. The phantoms were circling like vultures above us. The creeper took some steps forward, and so did the guy. The creeper made a sort of questioning hiss, and the guy hissed in response. The whole situation was very weird.

Finally, the guy caressed it's multishade green head and hissed softly. The creeper closed it's eyes, then left without a word. Or hiss. The guy put out his torch and the phantoms chirped, heading off in different directions. Then he turned around.

"So, uhm... hi?"

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Sarah

I was absolutely terrified.

Of course, I didn't want Thomas to notice. Or Eba, I guess. However, the sudden arrival of our 'savior' was very much welcome. Once the battle was over and the green dude had... what, like, hissed the last creeper away? Thomas called for Eba. She warped right beside him, enveloping him in a hug and scaring him out of his skin.

She was crying into his shoulder, mumbling nonsense about being scared for him. Not like that helped much. The green guy sort of waited his turn, messing with something inside his hoodie. Once Thomas had calmed down the oh-so-helpful Eba, he spoke to the dude.

"Hi, thanks for the save. Who are you?" He stopped fiddling with his stuff and turned to look at Thomas. "Um, your welcome. My name's Simon. Who are you guys? And what were you doing out so late?" Thomas smiled another one of his gentle and encouraging smiles. "My name is Thomas, this is Sarah and Eba." He pointed at us when he spoke our names, "and, well, we had just finished the farm and were tired. The night just caught us by surprise is all."

This wasn't the whole truth. Eba had gotten a little... I don't know. We had been telling a story about the enderman Queen that hated water, and she suddenly started crying. We sat around her and hugged her to provide comfort. I guess Thomas didn't want to give everything away to this stranger. He's very smart.

Simon nodded and fiddled a little with his goggles. He had a green hoodie and jeans, as well as a belt and boots. He had holsters for dynamite hanging from his belt, and his pockets were bulging with cargo. Presumably more tnt.

"So, ehhh... May I... like, go in? With you guys?" He seemed nervous about his request, but he didn't blush or anything overly dramatic like our resident endergirl does. Thomas guided him inside, Eba still attached to his shoulder. I groaned inwardly and followed them in.

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Eba

Simon seemed nice. Thomas actually offered to sleep on the floor because we only had three beds, but Simon refused to take it. He said it was impolite for a guest to take the 'headmaster's bed. So he slept on the floor.

I had noticed that Sarah was... a little angry at me, I think. She probably thought that I had chickened out, and that's why I had teleported away. But I'm not a coward! I just didn't have any way to help...

Thomas was still being nice to me though. And the beds he made were soft and warm. I had a little trouble sleeping, but at least nobody turned out the lights this time.

When I woke up, Thomas and Sarah were gone, leaving me alone with Simon. He was awake, but he was messing with something, muttering as he did. I sat up slowly and blinked the sleep from my eyes. "Mmm... hi, uh, hi Simon." He looked up from his work and smiled. "Hi, Eba." He removed his goggles and drew back his hood. He had dark brown hair peppered with black, and dark green eyes.

"Sorry if I woke you up. I was busy trying to fix my pocket knife. It got clogged up with something, and the little wrench wouldn't come out." I didn't really understand everything he said, but I nodded and yawned. "Do... do you think Thomas left with Sarah?" He looked up again. "Well, yeah. I don't know we're else he could be. I'm sure they went to get food." My eyes lit up. "Do you think they got mutton?" He smiled again, not looking up this time. "I'm sure they did, but I'd rather fancy myself some pork. Haven't had that in a while..." He began to trail off, focused on his work.

I got up and left the house, looking for Thomas and Sarah. I found a stick in the ground, and picked it up. It had rained while we were sleeping. Not, like, heavy rain or anything, but rain nonetheless.

I used the stick to draw on the wet ground. Trailing lines along the mud was soothing to me. I drew wings, and a dragon tail. Then I drew a person to wear them. I knew I wouldn't be able to color it... because it's mud... but I didn't mind. As long as I knew what colors it was, it didn't really matter...

I drew her eyes, big beautiful eyes, and the strings to what would go with her sweater or hoodie. It would be purple, just like her wings, except these would darken around the edges, becoming black. I drew her hair, which I imagined would be grey, almost silver.

I took a step back to admire my work. She was beautiful. Oh, how I wish I had my drawing supplies...

Thomas and Sarah suddenly emerged from the forest, laughing at something one of them had said. Sarah was carrying meat, and Thomas had a little bit of wool in his hands. I was nearly ecstatic, and ran to meet them. I hugged Thomas first, then Sarah, feeling my own blush as I did so. Why...

"You brought mutton!" Thomas smiled. "Well, Sarah brought mutton, I just carried the wool." Sarah smiled too, and it was a beautiful smile. "Yeah, just for you. There is two mutton chops, and the other three steaks are pork." Now it was my turn to smile. At least Sarah wasn't angry at me anymore... I noticed the both of them were looking at me, and I felt a little nervous, my skin growing hot.

"Ehh... Simon had said that he wanted pork." I mumbled the last few words, but they seeemed to have understood. Sarah and Thomas started building up the spit when Thomas noticed my drawing on the mud. "Hey, that's pretty good. Did you draw it, Eba?" I got a bit flustered, and mumbled in response. "I, um... ye-yes... I did. While I was waiting for you guys."

Thomas smiled at me. "I didn't know you could draw this well. I might have to get you some paper, and a charcoal pencil so you can draw..." He trailed off just like Simon had, staring at the ground. I found this confusing, but hey! I was going to get paper to draw on! And a pencil!

Happy, I entered the house. Simon looked up. I got a bit nervous again, for some reason. "I, eh... Thomas and Sarah are back. They brought mutton! And pork. You should probably come out..." he smiled again and put his stuff away. "Alright then. Let's go." He followed me out and the four of us stood around the campfire that Sarah had built. I felt comfortable here, more than I had with my own family. Then again...

I guess this is my family now.

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More Author's Notes!

Hey! Chapter eleven has been written! And we have a new character! Hurray!

I don't know how many people like the story, cause there is currently only two people who follow it. And I don't get many reviews, except for GiggiEba's reviews!

So, I'm not sure if my readers like it. I will keep writing, but I'm feelin' a little down...

Oh, well! Thank you so much for your time, and have a good day!

~ LeMafiaKreb

P.s, Yes, this chapter was finished and uploaded at seven in the morning. Catch ya later!


	12. Endermite Problem

Author's Notes

Chapter twelve!

We currently have four characters, Thomas, Sarah, Eba and Simon.

You guys enjoying the story? I Hope so.

Anyway, here we go!

Eba's starting

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Once our meal was cooked, Thomas and Sarah had started grilling Simon. He seemed a bit flustered by the sudden onslaught of questions, but he handled himself very well. I'm not sure if I could've...

We learned that he is from the creeper clan, that he was a tinkerer and forger, and knew some things about redstone contraptions. We also learned that he was a whisperer. Thomas was intrigued "What's a whisperer?" "Well, it's a trait, or ability that some people get. But it's got some weird... rules. For example, I can only talk to creepers. They can understand me as well as I can understand them. I'm sure that if Sarah was a whisperer, she would only be able to talk to skeletons."

Thomas seemed satisfied with this. But I wasn't. "Umm... *munch*" I wasn't done eating. "When did you... *munch*... realishe that you where a wishperer? What doesh it... *munch*... feel like to talk to creepersh?" Simon smiled and I blushed again. "Well, it feels just like normal. Like learning a new language. Except I felt like I know creeper better than english." This was very interesting.

"Also, the first time I spoke to a creeper was in my old backyard, I was like... eight, I think. I had been toying with some pebbles and I heard it hiss. He was looking at me. So I hissed back. But it felt... weird. The creeper was as surprised as I was. He hissed and I could feel his voice in my head. I hissed back, but I understood what I said this time. 'Hi', was the only thing I could think of. He hissed and I heard him clearly. 'Hello. How can you speak to me?'. I smiled and hissed back.

'I don't know.' He made an attempt at a smile, which I found hilarious. 'I've never spoken to one of your kind. What's your name?' He sounded young, probably like, twice my age. 'I'm Simon. How about you?' I don't remember what he said. I was quite young. I do remember that we had a very long conversation, though"

I found this endearing and cute. Then I had a sudden itch on my head, like the back of my head. I scratched it, but it wouldn't go away. I scratched furiously, my head starting to hurt. "Umm... Eba?" Thomas and Sarah were looking at me with confused faces, but Simon just looked plainly interested. "I... ugh, it itches! I can't make it stop!"

Simon gently pushed my arms away from my head. He pulled out his pocket knife and it sprung a little hairbrush.

"Just gimme a second." He stated to comb my hair and the itching stopped. "Eba? I think you have an endermite problem." "What???" He lifted the comb of my head, and I could see that there were endermite scales on its little teeth. This is bad. Endermites aren't really that dangerous, but some can carry disease.

"Urgh, no! Ah, it itches so much! Help!" I was panicking now, on the verge of tears. Thomas asked, "What can we do?" Simon looked over at him. "Not sure. Combing is only half the solution. Endermites can warp too, so they just move out of the way until it's stopped. We need to give Eba a bath." I blushed deeply at the thought.

"I can bathe myself! Ooohhh... I'll warp to the lake." Simon jumped up. "No! If you warp, more endermites will show up. You'll have to walk." I did not like this. The endermites would be nipping at my head the whole while. "It's alright, Sarah can go with you." I looked at Sarah, and I found it funny that she was shocked by Simon's sudden decision. "I, uhh, sure. Yep, I'll go with Eba. Do you... Y'know what, I'll talk to you on the way." She stood up and held a hand out to me. "Th-thanks." She helped me stand up and we walked hurriedly towards the lake.

I hate endermites so much...

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Sarah

The walk was awkward at first, What with Eba's constant scratching and moaning. But eventually, I managed started a conversation. "So, uhh... have you had this problem before?" She blushed. "I-yes. Twice before. I know what I'm supposed to do to get rid of the endermites." "Okay... do you, umm, have to undress?" She looked at me in a weird manner, while still scratching her head. "Yes... I don't want my clothes getting wet." She said it matter-of-factly, but I wasn't irritated by this.

It was quite a long walk to the lake, and I knew Eba was having an awful time, but I didn't know what to do. I started humming unconsciously. Eba stopped scratching after a while, but I didn't notice. Then, and without thinking, I started singing in a low voice.

"...Once upon, a different life, we rode our bikes into the sky...

But now, we call, against the tide, those distant days, are flashing by...

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes, hold back the river so I-I, can stop for a minute and see where you hide, hold back the river, hold back...

Lonely water... lonely water, won't you let us wander? Let us, hold each other...

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes, hold back the river so I-I, can stop for a minute and be by your side, hold back the river, hold back...

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes, hold back the river so I-I, can stop for a minute and be by your side, hold back the river, hold back... "

Once I was done, Eba spoke up. "That... wow. How... when did you...? I don't... urgh! I can't think straight!" I smiled, and she blushed. "Okay, try again." She cleared her throat. "That was beautiful. Where did you learn how to sing?" Now I blushed. "Well, I like it. I spent all lazy days listening to music and singing. My family lived near the town square, so there was almost always someone playing something. I like that song, and it's one of my favorites." She nodded, her itchiness forgotten for the moment. "How many songs do you know?" I smiled. "Not a lot... at last count it was probably like five, or something." She nodded again, scratching her head a little.

We were almost at the lake, now. Eba's scratching was quite funny, even though I knew how much of a problem that was to her kind. Once wereached the lakeshore, Eba stated to unzip and take off her hoodie, revealing a pink undershirt. I looked away out of embarrassment, even though I've seen this a thousand times. I take baths too.

I suddenly heard splashing, and when I turned around, I saw a fully naked Eba washing the absolute hell out of her hair. I mean, she looked like she was trying to remove the long purple strands themselves. I sat down on the shore, humming a different tune this time. Not sure which song it belongs to, but that didn't bother me too much. I looked at the blue sky above me while Eba was having her fun.

The clouds were chasing each other. I smiled at the thought. Hm, hm-hm hm-hmm, hm hm-hm hm-hmm, hm-hm, hm-hmhm, hmmm, hmm-hmm, hm-hm, hm-hm hmm...

"Sarah!" I turned to look for Eba. She looked like she was having fun out in the water. "Come in! The water feels nice!" I blushed at the thought. 'Aw, What the hell? It's not as if anyone is watching.' The thought made me blush deeper despite its logic.

I undressed myself and tentatively entered the water, wading towards Eba.

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Thomas

While Sarah was helping Eba with her predicament, I got to know Simon better. I was messing with some sticks and planks so I could make a crude shovel. I needed a shovel so that I could get to the stone layer, then if I could make a pick axe, I could gather some of the stone for further use and progress.

Simon found me using a sharp stone from a few days ago to shape a plank into the shovel head. "That's gonna take you a long time if you do it that way." I looked up. "I know, but it's the only way I can do it at the moment."

He nodded, then pulled out his pocket knife. It sprung out a small, serrated blade. "Maybe you could strip a stick while I carve the shovel head. Y'know, so it's faster." Now I nodded and picked up the stick I had brought with me from the storage shed.

I started stripping the wood with my stone while Simon carved out the shovel head carefully. We finnished rather quickly, but then we ran into another problem. "So, um... how did you plan to attach the shovel head to the stick?" I smiled sheepishly. "Honestly didn't think it would take that much. I thought that I could just strap it together with some wool or clay or something."

He made a mock frown and spoke. "I have an idea. We could do both, if we carved some slots in the wood so that they fit into one another. Then we use clay to seal it, and wool to strap it." I nodded. "Sounds good. Let's get to work on it." It took a couple of minutes, but we managed to make interlocking notches on each wooden part.

I had grabbed some clay and wool from the storage shed. It actually used to be our primary shelter, before we built up the house. We managed to complete our project and decided to test it. "Alright, let's go find the toughest patch of grass. If the shovel can tear through that, then we did a good job." Simon nodded, and we wandered around the plains.

It took a while, but we found some dirt that was very compact and dry. I used the shovel, and to my surprise, the dirt moved away with ease. "Hey! It works!" Simon had a huge smile on his face. "Let's go make a pickaxe!", he said, already running back to the house. I smiled and ran after him.

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20 minutes later

It took a while to design and then assemble the pickaxe, but once it was finished and tested, we were happy with the result. Now that I had someone to help me make tools and basic ones to start with, progress would take a lot less time.

This is also about the point when Sarah and Eba came back. They were barefoot, their boots and socks in hand. The rest of their clothes were wet. "Uhh, what happened to you guys?" Simon beat me to the question. "Oh, nothing" Sarah said. "We just took a little swim." Then Eba spoke up. "Um, yeah, and we... we didn't have towels. So now all our stuff is wet."

This whole situation was a bit awkward. "Alright then. I guess you'll have to get new clothes or something." Sarah smiled at me. "Yeah, but it's no problem. I could hunt down some cows to make leather armor and we could wear that while the rest of our clothing dries out." Eba nodded.

I told them about Simon and my achievement. They seemed overjoyed about it, but I think it was a little forced. Oh, well, at least they were happy. "So did the bath help with the endermite problem?" Eba nodded, blushing a little. "Ye-yes, it did. My head doesn't itch anymore." I smiled, then turned to Simon. "We should make tools for you too se we can go mining." He nodded, thinking it over. "Yes. I'll bring some low-key dynamite with me." This was odd. "I didn't think there was such a thing as 'low-key tnt'." Simon smiled. "Yep. It's like the middle point between fireworks and real explosives." I nodded, and we chatted around while the girl's dried out their less revealing clothes.

We went to bed early, and I kicked myself for not remembering to make one for Simon. He said he didn't mind, but I'm sure he was just being nice. I'll make a mental note. Eba had hung up her undershirt and was currently sleeping in her mostly dry hoodie. Simon actually offered Sarah his own hoodie so she could hang up her shirt. She blushed and thanked him for the item

We were all gonna be busy tomorrow.

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Extra Author's Notes

I was honestly considering to remove this chapter entirely, thinking that it was too awkward. Oh, well.

Thank you everyone (especially you. I know you know who you are) for your wonderful support! Have a great day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	13. Screaming Bloody Murder

Author's Notes

So! I cannot stress enough the awesome amount of support from GiggiEba! You guys should check him out at some point, because his stories are awesome.

I got nothin' else to say.

Enjoy!

(Simon's starting this time.)

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The next morning was tiresome, as well as the afternoon. Thomas and I spent a couple of hours gathering stone from the surface so we could make better picks. Since the sticks don't really care about being of even length, I got myself a long-handled pick with a light head. Thomas got himself a heavy pick of 'regular' length. So he could pick easier and more, while I could pick faster and from farther away.

It also took us some time to make the damn things. We finally found a way to attach the stone heads to the sticks. We essentially split one end of the stick in half and lodged the head there. Then we tied the ends of the stick together, as well as placing clay beneath the pick head. It looks weird, but meh.

Once that was done, Thomas picked up about two dozen apples from the shed. I had some jerky in my pack, but I didn't tell him that. I brought ten small sticks of dynamite inside their holsters along my thighs and belt. As well as my flint-n'-steel leather gloves. Thomas was fascinated.

"What are those for?" I snapped my fingers and a spark flew out. "I mostly use 'em for lighting fires and torches, but I can also light up dynamite as I go. So they're pretty useful." He looked impressed. "That is genius. Maybe we could make some for me later." He stood up and I followed. Then I remembered something important. "Aw, dammit, wait."

I walked to the house and picked up my goggles. Couldn't leave without them. I walked out and Thomas was waiting patiently. The girls had woken up a little later, and they immediately went hunting for cows. Yesterday, they had gone swimming to help Eba with a little problem she had, and most of their stuff had gotten wet. So now they needed leather for extra clothes while theirs dried.

Eba kept her hoodie mostly dry, and I let Sarah borrow mine. I was weird, knowing she was wearing my hoodie without an undershirt. But I tried ignoring that. Thomas and I went wandering off in search of a cavern. Breakfast for the four of us had been apples, which wasn't really that much of a surprise. We found a small cave after about an hour, and walked in.

I lit a torch and we realized that this cave went very far down. Not as in steep, but long enough to seem endless. We trudged along, looking for any sort of ore. We didn't find much at first, but as we walked deeper, we started seeing glitters along the walls. I picked at one of them, and a tiny piece of metal fell out. Not much. We kept going, and the farther we walked, the stuffier it felt.

I'm not claustrophobic, but mining isn't exactly my cup of tea. We eventually found some coal, which Thomas mined while I 'stood watch'. I felt a presence down a path that branched out from the main cave, but I kept a leash on my fear.

We kept on for about six hours, but when we decided to go back, something took my torch and left us in the dark

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Thomas

I could tell that Simon started to get jittery, and more so the deeper we went. It took us a few hours, but we had gathered enough metal for maybe ten iron ingots. As well as some coal. There were surprisingly no mobs around, which is probably part of what ticked Simon off.

Just as we turned to get out, he yelped and the torch went out, leaving us in a haze of sudden darkness. I heard him whisper 'lords dammit!' as he looked aroun for some ing to light on fire. He ended up taking the fuse out of a dynamite stick and lighting that, holding it in his hand.

"Well, then. Let's get out of here before-" then that light went out and I heard a muffled scream. I held out my pickaxe, hoping that it would help me in any way shape or form. Suddenly, I felt some sort of cloth be draped over my mouth and eyes as I got dragged across the stony ground. Once the movement was stopped, I tried to scream, and a stone was brought down on my head.

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An unknown amount of time later...

My head was throbbing something fierce, but at least it wasn't bleeding. There was something covering my eyes making everything pitch black, and I couldn't move. I was lying down on the stone ground. I shook my head a little, and I found out that it was the only thing I could move.

I heard a muffled groan from somewhere else. I guessed that to be Simon. Then I heard footsteps. "Lords dammit, Lila! You just had to hit him, didn't you?" A femenine voice spoke, followed by another, lighter one. "Well at least it kept him shut up, didn't it Valory? You just gagged the other one and he kept on making weird sounds!"

I was sure that these two were responsible for our little predicament. "Well, I wasn't sure if it was a mob or not. Since mobs can't really scream, I just assumed that a gag would be enough." "Well, neither of them is an actual mob. Unless you count the creeper boy. So congrats on getting me hungry." This last statement made me feel queasy, and it must've had a similar effect on Simon because he groaned loudly.

"Aw, relax you big baby. We're not going to eat you. We only eat mobs and the occasional animal that wanders in." I heard a tearing sound, then Simon's voice. "Relax?!? How in all the lord's names should I f*cking relax?!? You f*cking gagged and kidnapped us!!! How the-" then I heard more muffled ranting. "You really should let out some steam once I a while. Lila, un-gag the other one." I felt the cloth peeling off my face, and I stared into the maroon eyes of a pretty girl.

She blinked and smiled. "Well, at least your not screaming bloody murder. Hi! My name is Lila. That's my sister Valory. Who are you two?". I studied Lila for a second. Her hair was fairly short, just about reaching her shoulders, and it was a dark cyan color with a red stripe. She had a simple sweater that was a dark blue, as well as a black skirt that extended to past her knees. She was wearing black boots too.

I realized that we were in a small stone room filled with cobwebs, and a few torches here and there. I wet my lips and spoke. "My name is Thomas. That right there is Simon. We were mining when you so rudely captured us."

She smiled again, unfazed by my comment. "Sorry. We just thought you were mobs, is all. We're spiders, and our most distinguished trait is trapping. We use it to hunt mobs and animals, and the occasional intruder." I heard an irritated voice on the other side of the room. "Are you done, Lila? I need some help here." I turned and saw a gorgeous girl holding down Simon as he thrashed, bloodlust in his eyes. "Fine. Maybe Thomas here could help. You untie him."

Lila walked over to Simon and crouched down beside him, trying to calm him down. I saw Valory walk over to me, slowly and with a weird expression on her face. As if examining me with great interest. "Well, hello there handsome. I'm Valory. Let's get you out of these awful bonds." She pulled out a knife that seemed to have been carved from a large bone, and cut the thick string that kept me immobilized.

Once I was loose, I took my time examining Valory. She was wearing a black turtleneck with the shoulders cut off, as well as black shorts and knee-high leather boot. Also black. Her hair was the same shade as everything else she wore, and it was hanging down to past shoulder-length. "Thanks, I guess." She smiled a very seductive smile, and I made a mental note to stay a fair distance away from now on. I turned to see Lila removing Simon's bonds.

"See? It's fine. Just don't do that again." He sighed. "Then don't kidnap me again." His mouth was a grim line of repressed anger. "You Okay Simon?" He turned to me. "Never better." He walked over to a wall and picked up a torch. "Hey!" Lila exclaimed. Valory simply 'hmph'd and kept checking me out. I squirmed under her gaze and followed Simon as he walked out.

"You guys can't just leave!" Simon turned and yelled at the two spiders. "No-one's stopping us from leaving! Or you from following! I don't even care if you do, I just want out!" With that, he turned back toward the exit and walked away. I looked at the spiders. "He's just a bit stressed right now-" I heard Simon from far away; "Heard that!" "-but he's also right. We both want out, but if you want to follow us, that's completely fine."

I waited for their response. Lila looked at Valory, and Valory nodded. "Fine, well go." She took a torch from the wall while Valory collected some cobwebs from the floor and walls. Once they were done, I nodded and took Lila's torch, leading them both out into the sunlight.

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Sarah

Eba and I woke up just after Simon and Thomas. We ate some apples before going out to find cows. We needed the leather because Eba had a small issue with endermites, so we had gone for a swim. Of course, we had no towels, so our undershirt and jeans were wet. So we were going to use the leather to make pants and tunics while our clothing dried.

Eba trudged happily along, looking this way and that, humming a little tune as she did. I smiled. She could be such a kid sometimes. Eba tapped me on my shoulder and I looked at the direction in which she was pointing. There was a group of bovines in the forest, grazing nearby.

We crouched down and I readied my bow. Eba held her breath as I fired five arrows in rapid succession. All of the arrows hit their marks, and the rest of the cows ran off. I gathered the meat while Eba took the leather. When we were done, the cow's bodies turned to ash and disappeared.

We walked back towards the house. Eba spoke up during the walk. "I, eh... I could just teleport us home, you know..." I turned to look at her, and she was blushing. I flashed her an encouraging smile. "Really? I'd like to see that." She blushed again. "Uhh, Okay. I, um, need to ho-hold you. If that's okay." I could see that she was uncertain, so I grabbed her hand in mine.

"It's alright. Show me." She nodded, face still red, and embraced me in a bear hug. Now it was my turn to blush, but my face returned to its natural state quickly. We were floating in a black void, just the two of us, for a split second. It felt cold, empty, and dead.

Then we were home. Right in front of our door. I was still a bit shaken, but I didn't let Eba see that. She smiled sheepishly. "So? How was it?" I smiled back. "Definetly something. How do you do that?" She looked away, her face growing red again.

"I just... sort of close my eyes and think about where I want to go. I picture it. Then I open my eyes and I'm there." She mumbled the whole thing, but I understood what she said. The whole trip took us like five hours, so we had enough time to start making the clothes.

"When... when do you think Thomas and Simon will be back?" I looked at Eba. "Not sure. They'll turn up eventually, though. Help me stitch these two bits together." Eba had a small sewing kit in her pockets, and thankfully it hadn't gotten wet. We were using it to sew the leather into our new tunics.

We spent a few hours like that, putting our new clothes together. I stepped into the house to change, and then it was Eba's turn. I don't like wearing jeans, though. I prefer shorts because of how easy it is to run. But I decided to make pants instead of shorts, so I had to suck it up. Eba came out looking great.

The tunic emphasized her bust and curves, while the leather pants stuck neatly to her slender legs. "That suits you, Eba." She blushed deeply and mumbled "thanks", a smile playing at her lips. "You look good too, Sarah." I smiled back.

Then, and out of nowhere, an angry Simon walked past us towards the house and kicked the door open. Eba and I looked at each other in confusion, then we looked in the direction Simon had come from. Thomas was walking towards us, pickaxe in hand and a smile on his face. Eba dashed over to meet him, and I walked slowly behind her.

I had noticed something she hadn't.

There was two girls trudging along behind Thomas, spiders by the look of things. The taller one had black hair and red eyes, while the shorter one had dark cyan hair with maroon eyes. One spider and one cave spider. How wonderful.

Once Eba had given Thomas her hug and then retreated with her face as red as a tomato, I walked up to him. "Looks like you gathered up something other than metal." He looked confused by his comment, and then it clicked. "Oh! No, I just, they... okay, this is Valory-" he pointed at the tall one. "-and this is Lila.-" he pointed to the short one. "-They kidnapped us thinking that we were mobs." I nodded slowly. "Okay... so you brought them home? Why?"

He looked rather tired. "Well, I wanted out, and they said that they wanted to come too, so I just let them follow me." The spiders nodded. The short spider spoke up. "Love your outfits, by the way." The tall one nodded. "Yes, but they need some flair. Lila and I could help you white that... if you want of course." Eba nodded, happy as ever, and I sighed and nodded too. Thomas spoke first, though. "You guys might want to wait until tomorrow. The sun is starting to set."

He was right, so we all went into the house. Well have to expand it soon...

Simon was in his corner sleeping his worries away. Everyone found this funny. The spiders set up their 'beds' in the opposite corner. I fell asleep almost as soon as my head touched the soft clump of wool that was my pillow.

Then, as I dreamt, I realized that Eba and I had forgotten to hang our wet clothing.

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More Author's Notes

Yay, more characters! And something tells me Valory likes Thomas... :o

Anyway, thank you all for you support (yes, even those people who don't leave reviews), and have a great day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	14. A Day Spent Working

Tired Author's Notes

I'm not sure if I'd rather have my story be ignored or receive bad reviews.

I know both things get you down, though. :(

Anywho, here's the 14th chapter. Enjoy!

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Eba

So, um. We were all plenty busy, and I was tending to the 'garden'. Most of the wheat had grown past the dirt, so we had little green hairs coming out of the farmland. It was adorable.

Thomas and Simon had gone off to find furnace-making materials so they could 'cook up' the ore they found. Sarah had gone hunting. The new girls, Lila and Valory, were busy 'improving' the beds. I'm using a lot of '' aren't I?

They were wrapping the wool mattresses in silk, so they held together better and were softer. And thicker, and more comfortable. They also tweaked Sarah's and my leather clothes. They gave Sarah some cool hieroglyphics on her tunic, while I got mine turned into what I can only describe as a pirate tunic.

As in, no shoulders or neck, long baggy sleeves, and a little frill draping down from the top. It looks wonderful! Lila and Valory also painted them. Sarah got hers painted grey while mine is black and white. The sleeves are white, as well as the frill, while the rest of the tunic is black. Wait, what was I doing, again? Hm...

Oh, the garden! I needed to water the little plants. I had no idea how to... So I just warped down to the lake and used a big leaf to pick some up. Then I warped back to water the plants. They looked very happy. I repeated the process a couple times to make sure they were properly watered.

I sighed and sat down next to them, not knowing what to do anymore. I decided to decorate the entrance a bit. So, I left to gather some stones and pretty flowers. I made a little path leading to the garden with the stones, placing two rows parallel to each other. Then I placed the flowers on the outside of the path.

It looked pretty, but I felt like there was something missing. The surrounding area of the farmland looked very bare, so I took some planks from the storage shed and started building up a fence.

The whole thing would look perfect once I was done.

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Lila

So, we spruced up the other girl's tunics, and now Val and I are upgrading the beds. Sarah said she'd go get more wool, so we would need to wrap a total of six beds. Not a problem for the both of us.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the both of us that was working. Valory was messing with the cobwebs, giving them weird shapes to amuse herself. "Val, could you at least try to focus?" She looked at me, with confused eyes. "Sorry? Oh! Right, yes, focus. How many are left?" "Well, Sarah hasn't come back, so it's just the two we are wrapping now. When she does return, we'll have to wrap up three more."

She frowned and looked at the house. "There isn't enough room for three beds." I nodded. "True, but Thomas said he and Eba would expand it later. Don't worry about it." Her eyes proved that she had her head in the clouds again, and I groaned.

It is so hard to work with her sometimes.

When I was finished, I decided to help make the new bed's bases. I copied what Thomas had done to the other three and built three more with a little help from Valory. And I do mean little. We were bored, not knowing what to do anymore. It usually felt this way in the cave, but at least now we had more colors to look at.

I used my small personal knife to sharpen my teeth. Spiders aren't used to brushing them, instead we end up filing them down to keep them sharp. We have fangs instead of canines, but every other tooth is the same. Valory is a spider, but she can't make any sort of poison. I'm a cave spider, so I produce venom. When I file my teeth, the knife I use ends up getting poisoned, making it a more effective weapon.

Sometimes, I'm glad to be a cave spider.

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Sarah

I went off hunting in search of sheep so we could make the remaining beds. Well, so Thomas and the spiders could make the beds. I had Eba check up on the garden because I didn't want her along for the ride. It's not as if I didn't enjoy time with her, but I needed to be alone right now.

I had successfully killed two out of three sheep, but I hadn't found a third one. I kept wandering around trying to spot the fluffy creatures through the forest. I had seen cows and the ocasional pig, as well as some chickens, but no sheep. Must've moved to another part of the forest...

I had gathered up some pink tulips before heading into the woods. Eba and I had found a small plain in the middle of the forest. Just a small, flat, green spot surrounded by trees. I stood in the center, flowers in hand.

"Hi, mom. Happy birthday. I wish you were sill here. You would get along perfectly with the guys. Anyway, I'm just here to drop off some flowers. I know people usually do this at their loved one's graves, but I'm too far away for that. I thought this might work even still. I miss you."

I planted the flowers in the center of the spot, where they would get plenty of sunlight and rain. I stood watch for a little while, basking in the sunlight.

Then I left to continue hunting.

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Simon

Thomas and I had returned to the cave to gather some stone. "Hey, what if I blow down a wall instead of picking at it for hours?" Thomas looked thoughtful for a second before answering. "Only if you're sure the roof won't cave in." I nodded and got to work.

I planted four small explosives on stone ledges that outcropped from the wall. Then I tied the fuses carefully together. I told Thomas to stand back and I snapped my fingers, making a spark fly from my gloves. The fuses caught fire, and we both ran to get out of the blast radius. We waited for a few seconds, and nothing happened.

Then, the cave let out a defeaning roar and the wall crumbled from the explosion. We picked up as many sones as we could carry and walked back to the house. Lila and Valory had finished and were arguing about something outside. Thomas hollered at them with all his might. "Hey! Has Sarah come back yet?".

Both spiders turned to look at him. Valory made what I can only asume is a seductive wave of her hips and shook her head. We dumped the stones inside the storage shack, and went to do some logging. Thomas cut trees down like an enderman, while I struggled to snap a single one. After a few hours of hacking and the same tree, I pulled out a stick of dynamite and strapped it to the base.

"Woah, what are you doing?" I looked at him. "Logging?" He appeared amused and scared. "What, with tnt?" I shrugged. "Sure, why not? I can't bring down a single one use ing the axe, so I'll try this instead." I lit the fuse and pulled Thomas with me.

The exsplosive went off and the tree fell on its side, snapping in half. "See? It's more fun, effective, and dangerous." I walked over to another tree and planted a second stick. "Fine, just tell me before you light them." I nodded, still strapping the dynamite to the tree's trunk.

We spent the rest of the day taking down trees and bringing the wood back home. Surprisingly, neither one of us was hurt...

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Valory

Thomas and Simon caught us both off-guard. Lila had been complaining about my 'lack of commitment' again, so I mentioned that it was her fault because she offered to do this in the first place. Then she whined that it was the least we could do for occupying part of their house. The argument started getting heated when the two of them arrived.

By then we had finished the three beds, Lila had built the bedposts, and we were waiting for Sarah to come back with the rest of the wool. Thomas asked if we had seen her, and I shook my head. No, of course I hadn't seen her. If I had, Lila and I would still be working.

We decided to train our combat skills to pass the time after Thomas had left. I went inside and brought our weapons out of the little cobweb box we put them in. I use a doubleheaded spear with a black handle and red tips. I carved some symbols on the handle and painted them gold. I handed Lila her pouches.

She keeps a dozen throwing knives in each one. She had carved them out of bones and painted them black, the 'blades' with a blue hue. She's pretty good with those things, actually. All of them are poisoned, of course. We spent a couple of hours attacking the nearby trees until we got bored.

I left Lila to explore the forest. It had been a long time since I had done it. I loved the greens and all of the other colors. It was a very happy place. I wandered around, looking to see if I could find something interesting. Not much was out here, just some animals and plants. I decided to walk back home, pcking up some flowers along the way.

I knew who I'd give these to...

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Thomas

Once Simon and I had brought all of the tree trunks back home, I called Eba over. "Hey, think you could help me expand the house?" She blushed and nodded. She helped me strip the wood and split the logs in half. I took down one of the doors, and stated placing planks down as the floor.

I had sent Eba to gather clay, as we used it to make sure the planks and logs stayed in place. Our own stock of clay was dwindling fast, so we needed more. I kept placing the planks down, making the second room wider and longer than the first. This would become the comunal bedroom, so to speak.

I decided that the first room could be used as the living room or the dining area. The second room was ten meters by fifteen meters. Much larger. I started placing the logs down to start up the wall when Eba came back, a large amount of clay on a plank she had teleported with her to the lake.

She helped me put everything in place, and a few hours past noon, all we needed was the roof. This would be tough, as we didn't have any sticks or planks long enough to make it. While we were doing this, Simon had been building a furnace from the stones we brought. I called him over.

"Hey, got any ideas for the roof?" I explained what we needed, and he looked at the ground thoughtfully. "Well, we could make support posts, or try placing planks on one another... we could also try to use both half-trunks and planks." We ended up doing the second thing, and we made some sort of flat and long piramids with the planks.

These were wide enough to cover the whole roof, so we made about three dozen of them. Once they were set, and we made sure they wouldn't cave in, we moved the premiase beds inside. Lila had built the other three bed bases and so we brought them inside too. "Lila, where's Valory? And Sarah?" She shrugged.

"Haven't seen Sarah since this morning, and Valory went for a walk in the woods. I'm sure they'll be back soon." I nodded, and went outside. Simon had built the furnace, and was in the middle of testing it. "Does it work?" He turned to me with a big smile on his goggled face.

"Perfectly. I've already smelted one ingot. It looks a bit crude, but it should get better. Besides, we're gonna end up using them in a different shape, so it's not much of a problem." I nodded, and watched as he pulled out a second I got using his knife and a long stone.

I noticed Sarah had walked out of the forest, golden helmet on her head and a calm and happy expression lighting her features. I walked over to her. "Hi! Looks like you got all the wool. Thanks. Eba has been anxious for your return." She smiled. "I knew she would be. So I got her a surprise. She pulled out a small package wrapped in leather. Inside were ten strips of cooked mutton jerky.

"She'll be elated. That is very nice of you Sarah." She nodded, and turned to the house, smile still on her face. Looks like you guys finished the other room just in time." She was right. The sun was starting to set. "Yeah, with a little help from Eba and Simon. Lila and Valory wrapped up the old beds and were waiting for you so they could wrap the new ones."

She nodded and walked to the house. I turned to look at the sun as it set on the horizon, orange and crimson spilling from it. Valory had walked up beside me, with flowers in her hands. "Here, these are for you." She handed me the bunch and smiled. I thanked her, knowing very well that I had to tread carefully.

"Do you like the sunset, Val?" She smiled again. "Yes, It's very beautiful. But I prefer the dark. That's when I get to have fun." A malicious grin overtook the pretty smile on her lips, and it made me feel uncomfortable. "Hey, we should probably head inside. Lila needs your help with the beds."

Valory nodded and walked towards the house, a disheartened but stubborn look on her face. I sighed and followed her in.

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More Author's Notes

I'm determined to finish this story even if it's just for my peace of mind.

Not many people actually seem to care or support the story, and that's not to say I'm ungrateful for those that do.

It's just... sort of disheartening, y'know?

Anyway, thank you for your support, and good day.

~ LeMafiaKreb


	15. Like A Duck And It’s Mother

Noticeably Calmer Author's Notes

yawn*. [stretches] *cracks fingers* [rubs negativity from eyes]

Alright, now that I'm done sulking, I'll get back to work. On with the story!

Chapter fifteen! Thomas is starting this time. :D

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Thoma's POV

The new room was spacious and cool, so the heat and stuffy ness from the other one was no longer a problem. I couldn't sleep, and I didn't know why. It was probably because there were monsters nearby, Since I could hear the rattling and groaning and such. I noticed that Lila hadn't fallen asleep either.

She was staring at me with unfocused eyes. "Hey", I whispered, trying not to wake the others. She blinked. "Umm, Hi. I didn't mean to wake you..." I smiled. "You didn't. I just couldn't sleep." Lila nodded. "Me neither. I think it's because of all the noise outside." Now I nodded. "I think so too."

Lila got up carfully so as to not disturb Valory. "Wanna have some fun?" She took out an old and rusty iron sword from a cobweb-ridden box. I gratefully took it. "I didn't know that was what you guys were carrying." Lila smiled as she pulled out two small pouches. "Yeah, it's where we keep our weapons and important stuff."

She gestured for me to follow her and we exited the house cautiously. There was a few monsters, but not enough for it to count as a horde. I felt strangely calm while wielding the sword. Probably because it was an actual weapon.

Lila took four small knives from both pouches, their blades a blue tinge. "Do you throw them?" Lila looked at me. "Of course. What else would I do with twelve throwing knives?" I shrugged. "Fair enough." We walked up to the mobs, and the fun began.

I swiped down all sorts of monsters, from endermen to zombies. For some reason, though, there were no creepers. Hadn't been since we met Simon. Lila threw those blades of her so fast and accurately that even the endermen couldn't teleport away before they hit.

She threw them in an arc, so to speak. But each one had a specific target, and they all flew true. It seemed that she only needed to hit them with one, as they dropped dead shortly after. She went by picking up the knives on the floor as she threw new ones. On and on we fought, me swinging the sword and her running around shanking everybody.

It took half of the night, but eventually all the plains were empty. We met up at the door to the house, sweating, panting, and smiling goofily at one another. "That... was... really damn... fun..." she smiled tiredly. "Yeah... I know... should... do it again... some time..."

I nodded, unable to speak anymore. We walked in and slumped on our beds. "Good... night, Lila." She nodded. "Good night... Thomas..." she closed her eyes and fell asleep, exhausted.

I drifted off almost as soon as my head hit the pillow, but before darkness could envelop me in it's soothing embrace, I saw myself, a glint of gold at the edges of my irises. Before I could react, I closed my eyes and dreamed.

Of fire and death.

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Sarah's POV

When I woke up, both Lila and Thomas were snugly in their beds, dirty and sweaty.

Did not want to know. I left the house to go hunting again, as breakfast relied on me most of the time. I was out the door before I realized that Eba hadn't been in her bed. She was actually outside, putting up a fence around the garden.

"Good morning, Eba. How're you doing?" She was a bit surprised but managed to compose herself, blushing as she did. "Um... h-hi, Sarah. How, uh... how're yourself?" I smiled. "You first. Why are you out here building?" She looked at the garden, the light red on her face turning crimson. "I just wanted it to look pretty. And I felt that a fence would do that. I built the path." She mumbled the last sentence, and I looked down.

Indeed there was a stone path leading from the house to the garden, framed with colorful flowers on the outside. "It looks great, Eba. Well, I'm off to hunt. Want anything specific?" I knew the answer before she even responded, but I listened anyway. "Yes! I'd love some mutton, if you can find any... please?" I smiled and nodded.

Just as I was turning to leave, I remembered something important. I took a small leather packet from my bag, and handed it to her. "What's this?" She asked as she opened it. "For emergencies, or when you're feeling a little peckish." Her look of wonder made me feel like the best person in the world.

Inside the leather packet were the ten strips of mutton jerky I had made for Eba. She took one and nibbled the end, closing her eyes and savoring the treat. "Mmm... oh, this is so good! Thank you Sarah!" Eba threw herself at me and embraced me in a big bear hug. She had caught me by surprise and I blushed so deeply I was sure my face was glowing red.

"Yo-you're welcome, Eba." She held on to me for a moment longer before pulling away, her face deep scarlet. "I, uhh... better get back to building... bye..." she teleported away, and I sighed. Probably should have asked her for a teleport to the sheep feeding grounds...

I walked into the forest, golden helmet on my head, and bow in hand.

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Simon's POV

I woke up with an ugly pulsing coming from my eyes. I opened them and realized that a small ray of sunlight was filtering through the wall. I groaned and put on my goggles, shielding my eyes from it's light. I stood up and stretched, noticing that Eba and Sarah were not around. I walked outside and found the plains devoid of any life except for the plants.

I shambled over to the furnace and lit it up again, wanting to finish forging the other metal ingots. I was taking out the second one when Eba teleported at the garden, planks in tow. She was wearing her Caribbean style tunic. I waved and she smiled back. Returning to my task, I cooked up another two ingots before I heard Eba yell triumphantly. "There! It's done!"

I turned and realized that in the span of a few hours she had built a fence around the farm plot which was probably the size of the house. I smiled at her. "Looks great, Eba! How did you finish it so quickly?" She looked at her feet and held her arms behind her back, blushing. "I'm an enderman... or endergirl... I do this stuff often..." She was so cute when she mumbled.

I nodded, still smiling, and continued smelting. I heard her walk up behind me. "What are you doing?" I answered without turning. "Smelting iron. With all the monsters hanging about we're gonna need strong tools." Eba nodded and picked up one of the finished ingots. "It's so smooth... how did you make this?" I smiled, still not turning.

"I'm a creeper. My clan's people are great forgers, and it's one of the first things they teach us." She nodded, still running her hand along the cool metal. "How do you make tools from this?" I pulled out another finished ingot. "I need to melt it again and pour the metal into a mold. Then, after it cools, I put a handle on it and presto! Tool is built."

I put another clump of ore into a stone ingot mold I made yesterday. Eba started playing with the other ingots, piling them up and making small structures. We heard the door open and turned towards the sound. Thomas walked out, a faint smile on his face. I waved, and Eba walked over to hug him. "Hey guys. What're you doing up so early?"

Eba giggled. "We're not early, you're late! And I wanted to finish the fence. Simon is making liguots." I smiled. "Ingots!" Thomas walked over and picked one up. "You're really good at this, Simon." I nodded and got back to work, a smile on my face. "Thanks." Thomas looked at Eba.

"Where's Sarah?" She pointed towards the forest. "Hunting. She said she would bring some mutton for me." Thomas nodded and wandered off, towards the opposite forest. "I'm going to gather some more wood. Feel free to come with me, Eba." She hurriedly walked up to him and tagged along. I smiled, tending to the metal.

Like a duck and it's mother, those two.

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Eba's POV

We gathered a lot of logs, and I kept teleporting them home as soon as Thomas brung the trees down. It was exhausting, but I knew that the wood was necessary. Besides, Thomas said that I could use it to make sculptures, and I had promised Sarah to show her how. She also promised to teach me how to use a bow...

I started munching on some of the mutton jerky Sarah made for me. I knew it wasn't an emergency, but it was just so good... I couldn't resist having a bite or two. I need to make something r her one of these days... I know...

We ended up making a clearing in the middle of the forest, filled with ugly stumps. Thomas suggested that we uproot them so there was more space for new trees and saplings. It was hard work, but after a few hours there was a nice and mostly clean area without trees or underbrush.

"We could have a picnic here later, once the new grasses settle in." I nodded enthusiastically. "I'd love that! We could have everyone over here eating together!" Thomas nodded and we both walked towards the house. I could see that Lila and Valory had gotten up while we were cleaning, so I waved. Valory noticed and waved back, then she hit Lila so she could wave too.

I love my new family so much.

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Valory's POV

I saw the whole thing. Lila leaving with Thomas, the monster massacre, their happy faces when they returned... and I was mad. No, I was pissed. Lila knew how much I liked the guy, but then she goes and takes him on a joyride. Without me! I woke up to her sleeping like a baby. I was so mad that I pushed her off her cobweb hammock once I was out of mine.

It took her a second to gather her bearings, but when she stood up and saw my face, her tiredness vanished. "Val? What's wrong?" I left the house seething. 'What's wrong'??? 'What's wrong'??? How selfish of her! I saw Simon at his newly built furnace, tending to the flames. Instead of going to talk to him, though, I sat down next to Eba's newly made path.

Lila left the building, her eyes still weary and groggy. "Val? Talk to me. What did I do this time?" I felt tears well up in the corners of my eyes, but I held them back. "What you always do, Lila! You've always been the pretty one, the smarter one, the better one, and I'm always left in the dust. I'm sick of it!" She walked over and sat down beside me.

"I... I'm sorry. It's about Thomas, isn't it? I didn't mean to give the wrong impression, I just-" I interrupted her before she could continue, my face blood red. "You never do." I said in a husky voice. "Everything just comes natural to you. The boys, the knowledge, the skills. You never mean anything. You just do it. It's always been easy for you. Trapping, combat, sewing, everything! You've always been the better one and it makes me feel sick! Like I'm not even necessary or important to anyone at this point."

The tears came as I finished the last sentence, pouring down my cheeks. Lila spoke after a while, once I had composed myself somewhat. Simon was pretending not to listen. "You are important. To me. To mom. She always loved you more, and that made me jealous. I trained so hard that I became good at everything, just so mom would feel proud of me. I never thought it would hurt you like this. I'm sorry."

She hugged me, and it took a while for me to return the hug. Some time later, I noticed Thomas and Eba were walking towards us from the forest. Eba waved at us, and I waved back. When Lila didn't wave, I punched her softly in the arm and she jumped. She waved halfheartedly, and I hugged her.

Even if it kills me, she will forever be my sister, and I will always love her very much.

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Author's POV

So! I'm am very happy with this one. I try to keep my emotions on a leash, but this one made my breathing feel restricted. I almost cried. :')

I now have three stories! The second one is the lore for this one, prewritten stuff for whenever I can't push anything new out for any other story. As writer's block vaccines.

The third one is completely different and separate from K-O-W. It's a mafia story, about a boy named Jack who was brought up by the mob. Its weird, but I love it. Hope you do too. It's for mafia enthusiasts and curious people.

If you aren't either of those, then I can't help you.

Anywho, Thankyou for you time, support and patience. Have a great day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	16. Six Feet Under

Author's Notes

Listen, I'm gonna pretend that there is more than one awesome person who proves they like the story, 'Kay? Cuz that's the only way I'll actually be able to finish it.

Please do leave reviews. It feels awful to think that only one person likes what you do (this doesn't mean I am ungrateful for that one person), so, if you like the story, review follow, the works.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's get on with the story!

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Thomas' POV

The next red days were pretty busy. Simon found a way to turn his furnace into a stove, so now it was safe to cook inside. Eba and I built a kitchen, expanding the house to the left. Sarah proposed we have a cooking schedule. She would make breakfast, as well as gather meat for the other meals. Valory would cook lunch, and Simon actually offered to make dinner. Or at least help.

We used the iron ingots to make tools and weapons. Simon made clay molds for a pickaxe, and axe, and two swords. A shortsword and a broadsword. The pickaxe needed two ingots to fill, the axe one, the shortsword one and the broadsword two. I got a pickaxe and an axe. Eba got an axe, Sarah got a pick, and Simon got himself twin shortswords.

It was pretty shocking to see him without his hoodie, sweating up a river, and pulling out the clay molds from the big furnace. He had Eba teleport him and the molds to the river so they could cool. Before they hardened completely, he carved matching symbols onto the blades. I asked him about it when he showed them to us. "What do those mean?" He gave me one of them.

"Nothing, really. I just thought they looked cool, Y'know? To give them a personal touch." Eba looked like she was about to say something but then stopped. Sarah picked one up. "This is really good craftsmanship. How did you do it with just the mold?" Simon gave a cocky grin. "I'm a creeper. It's what we do. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to make sheaths."

He walked over to the storage shed and disappeared inside. I turned to Sarah. "We're going to need more metals for gear. I talked to Simon yesterday and we think we have an idea to have the house multi-floored." Sarah raised her beautiful eyebrows. "Really? Doesn't look like the current ceiling can hold up a person, much less an entire room."

I nodded. "Yeah, but we had an idea. He knows how to make a batch of nails with the iron, so we could make the planks lighter and tougher. This will also apply to the walls, so we don't have to worry about it caving in. Actually, we could swap out the crude walls of the bottom floor once we get enough metal. So, I was planning on having a mining trip. Simon would have said no before I finished my sentence."

Sarah nodded. "Alright. So, I'm guessing you want me to go with you, huh?" I looked away, a tad embarrassed. "Well, you and Lila, since she knows her way around a cave better than anyone. Valory is busy doing who-knows-what." She nodded again, and left to go inside, muttering to herself.

I walked over to Lila. "Hey. Feel up for a mining trip?" She thought for a few seconds. "Yeah, sure. I haven't been doing much, anyway." I nodded and handed her my old stone pick. "It may not look like much, but it's plenty sturdy." Lila smiled. "Yeah, no. That's not happening. Either you give the iron one or I won't go."

I made a mock frown and handed her the new pick. "Fine..." Right then Sarah came out of the house, her gold helmet gleaming in the sunlight. "Now I'm ready." Simon poked his head out from the storage shed. "Ready for what?" I looked at him "mining trip." His eyes it up, which surprised me. "Oh! I have something you guys might find useful."

He walked out, looking for something in his pockets. After some time he came up with a small vertical iron circle that had a candle in it. It was attached to some sort of stretchy band. "I had been messing with the idea for awhile. It needs a mirror, but I haven't been able to make one. It should still work regardless. May I?" He gestured to Sarah's helmet.

She nodded and handed the item over. He used the strap to attach the contraption onto the helmet. "There. All you have to do now is light it." Simon spoke as he put on one of his flint and steel leather gloves. Then he snapped his fingers in front of the gizmo, and a small spark lit the candle. "I'm not sure how long it'll last, so you better hurry." He handed Sarah her helmet and her returned to the storage shed.

The three of us were a bit surprised and confused, but we moved on regardless. Lila took us to a different cavern from the one we had gone down before. This one was a bit smaller, but it still lead us downward. Lila was always up front, and I guessed that she had no trouble seeing in the dark.

Simon's little lamp thing was pretty helpful, even without the mirror that was supposedly necessary. Sarah could see in front of her, and light up a small area too. I was carrying a lit torch, just in case her lamp burned out. We started hearing mob sounds the deeper we went, and it was very creepy. They mostly ignored us, for some reason.

We had collected a decent amount of iron, lots of coal and even a few bits of gold. Then, a creeper showed up in front of us, as if spawning out of nowhere. We tried to step back, but it was too late. The monster started flashing, and before we could run, it blew up. I rushed to stand in front of Sarah, as if I could be of any help against an explosion. The stone roof cracked and small bits of rock started pummeling us from above.

The entire cavern shook, and large stones started to fall down. In a matter of seconds, monsters and rocks were upon us. "Fuck! Hurry, we need to leave!" Sarah and I followed Lila as she ran ahead. Out of the blue, a massive boulder fell in front of us, separateing Sarah and I from Lila. The monsters behind us retreated after realizing that the stones could crush them too.

For a straight minute the walls and roof crumbled, dropping stones the size of baseballs on our heads. I could feel them bouncing off my aching back. I tried my best to shield Sarah from the projectiles, but I couldn't get very close because of her helmet-light. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the constant attack ceased.

Sarah ran up to the boulder and pounded her fists against it. "Lila! Are you okay?" We heard a muffled voice from the other side. "Yeah, I'm fine! How are you guys? Can you see?" Neither light source had been extinguished, which was very lucky. I answered Her. "Yes, we can see! And we're mostly alright, just a bit battered from all the rocks." Lila spoke again after some time. "Okay. I'll try to find a way to get to you guys. Be safe." We heard footsteps on the other side of the boulder, indicating that she could walk and was currently looking for a way to get at us.

I sat down leaning against the stone wall, heart pounding in my chest. There was a ringing in my ears, as if I had been standing right next to an explosion. Come to think of it, I was. Blood drained from my face, trying soothe my racing heart. I put my head in betweeen my knees, as I felt exhausted and nauseous. I saw Sarah crying against the rock wall, so I slowly crawled over to her.

I took off her gleaming helmet and stared into her lovely light grey eyes. The light from the torches made them glow silver, just like they had in the moonlight so many nights ago. Gleaming tears rolled down her pale cheeks. "I... this... I can't... I don't know what we're going to do..." she was shivering, and I'm not sure from what. The cave was very cold, but I wasn't shivering.

I tried to calm her down in an embrace, but she resisted. "Thomas! We have to... I mean, we need to... I want out!" I tried comforting her again. "Shhh... I know... it's fine. I'm scared too. I don't like this any more than you do, but Lila will get us out." She hadn't stopped crying, but now she took deep breaths to calm down.

"Y-you... don't k-know that. She might never find a way to get us out. M-maybe the monsters will get us first..." I tried hugging her again, and she didn't pull away this time. "No, don't think like that. She will get us out, I promise. We'll find a way to escape." She held her tears back, but it was no use. She started sobbing lightly again. "W-What if she doesn't??? Thomas, w-were six feet under! She'll never b-be able to dig through this r-rock!" I held her tighter. "Shhh... calm down, Sarah. We'll be fine, I'm sure of it."

She nodded, her face still gleaming with tears. I pulled away a little to wipe them off her cheeks. She looked me straight in the eye. "Thomas, I hate you with all my heart." I smiled at her. "Why's that?" She spoke evenly, despite the tears still running down her face. "You... you've always been the important one. The leader, builder, th-the goddamn people person! You've managed to make a freaking gang from scratch!"

Her eyes took on a sharp quality as she spoke, but I let her finish. "You and Eba built an amazing house together, you helped Simon with the furnace, the spiders are always loliggaging around you! And I just... I feel left out. I haven't done anything to improve the living conditions of... anyone. All my life I've only ever thought about myself. But you seem to care about everyone equally. Even me."

She looked at the rugged floor, her face turning a light red. "You helped me heal even though I tried to push you away. When I woke up, the first thing I did was hold a knife to your throat. But you stuck with me. For weeks, now, you've kept me around. And I feel like such a drag, a burden. The only useful thing I do is hunt and cook." The tears were returning now, with force. Her face turned deep scarlet, and it scared me.

I had never seen Sarah express her feelings, except for a couple of occasions. And not once had she looked as scared or vulnerable as right now. I always thought she was the strongest of us, the one pillar that I could always depend on to remain tough. "Sarah, you are useful to all of us. We know you'll do anything in your power to keep us safe. Your hunting and cooking keeps us healthy."

She looked up, her silvery eyes glassy. "You are Eba's best friend. Without you, I'm not sure if I could have made her help me." A light smile played at the corners of her lips. I slowly inched closer. "I would never force you to stay. You decided to stick with me, and I'm grateful for that. Without you, I don't think I would have survived for so long."

the smile widened on her face, and her perfect teeth reflected the light from the torch's flames. "I'm sure you would've. You made so many friends in a place thousands of miles from the nearest clan." I shook my head, feeling my own smile appear. "Doesn't matter. If you hadn't been there, I would never have left that forest. Never would've met the others. You were the catalyst that I needed, my missing piece."

Her blush deepened ever so slightly, and we both drew closer. "You are a good liar." My smile widened. "Never would tell a lie, not to you." Her arms looked around my neck, and we inched closer still. She closed her eyes, those magnificent black lashes gleaming in the light...

Then, the wall next to us shook, and cracked. We jumped in unison, quckily standing and separating, a blush deep on both our faces. The wall cracked further, and shattered.. Lila poked her head in. "Hey guys. A little help here?" We both picked up our tools from the floor and began to wear down the stone from our side.

After a short while, the boulder shattered. Lila stepped in, and hugged Sarah, then me. "I'm very glad that you're both okay. C'mon, I found a way out. Bring the metal, otherwise this whole trip will be a waste of time." This remark made the three of us smile, and we picked up the loot. It took a while, but after a few minutes, I could see the sunlight at the end of a tunnel.

Once we were out, I dropped everything and breathed in the fresh, fort air. "Finally, Some sunlight! It's like I can feel strength returning to my battered old bones!" Lila snickered, and Sarah put her hand on my shoulder. "You're weird, Thomas. Come on, we better get going." She had a smile on her face, and her cheeks had a tinge of red on them. I nodded, and the three of us walked home.

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Slightly Giddy Author's Notes

(Before the rest of the notes, I'm gonna say that I had trouble with this originally, but I scrapped it and started from scratch. This was the final product.)

I made an attempt at romance. Was it any good?

This chapter just flowed (flew?) from my fingertips. It felt great to finally know what to write after three days of sulking around. :P

Also, if you like Believer from Imagine Dragons, I implore you to listen to the Bass boosted version! It is more movy, and very energetic! :)

Anywho, thank you for your time, and good day! :D

~ LeMafiaKreb


	17. Welcome To My World

Extremely Giddy Author's Notes

Guys! I can feel it! The energy from the soul-consuming giddiness is back! And all it took was a small break, an awesome remix, and the support from a friend (thank you).

Anywho, let's get back to it! Simon's starting. :)

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Simon's POV

I noticed that the trio that went on a mining trip return battered, and I knew why. This made me feel guilty, very guilty. I walked up to them. "You guys alright? What happened?" Thomas gave me a feeble smile. "Oh, nothing. A creeper brought down the roof is all." I grimaced. I had a feeling this was the cause. "Sorry. I should have been there with you. It's just... I couldn't handle another traumatic mining trip, Y'know? But I promise I'll go next time."

Sarah shook her head. "It's alright Simon. You did help, indirectly. That helmet torch of yours was still lit even after we left the cave. Pretty good craftsmanship, once again." This did comfort me a little, but not enough to shake the guilt. Still, I flashed them a smug smile. "Well, that's what I do. Glad you found it useful." The three of them nodded, and they walked towards the house.

The reason this accident made me feel guilty was because I'm a whisperer. Whisperers are people who can 'speak' to mobs. I'm from the creeper clan, and that makes me a creeper. The fact that I'm a whisperer means that I can speak to creepers, and only creepers. If an enderman was born a whisperer, then he or she would only be able to speak to endermen. What could be considered a passive ability of my being a whisperer is that I sort of keep creepers away.

I wandered back to the storage shed to drop off some supplies. I had been making sheaths for my new shortswords, and I had some leftover string and leather. I wandered off into the forest after putting the scraps away. I liked doing this, just heading out on my own sometimes. Even if it does remind me of the reason why I ran away.

My little expedition brought me to the foot of a mountain, and I realized I had probably been walking for a few hours, just enjoying the sun. Oops. This happens quite a lot, actually... I placed my hand on the grassy stone of the mountain, and trailed along it's edge. This eventually brought me to a small cave. I looked it over from the outside, and decided that it was shallow enough for me to build up some confidence. I took a step inside, and looked around. There wasn't much, just a few gleaming bits of metal here and there, as well as a shifty figure crouching in the corner.

Wait, a What?

I stopped my inspection and looked into the silver-blue eyes of a stranger. He quickly stood up and put a knife to my throat. "You say one word and I'll make sure it's your last." I was too shocked to respond in any way, so I just stared at him. Lords dammit, I was never going into another cave again. He had black hair and pale skin, similar to Sarah. The difference was in the clothing; he was wearing a ragged cloak and jeans, both the same dull cyan color.

The knife was like Sarah's, just as big, same shape, serrated on one end, probably made of the same material. To top it all off, he had a bow hanging from his back, his right arm hooked around it's string. He seemed to be inspecting me as well, and after a short while, he spoke again. "Who are you? Why are you here?" I hesitated, but spoke. "Well, I was taking a stroll, and I happened to bump into you. Name's Simon." He pulled his knife away a little.

"You're not here to capture me?" This made me smile, despite my current predicament. "I don't even know who you are. Why would I want to capture you?" He sheathed his knife, apparently satisfied with my answer. "I'm Jack, the young skeleton prince. The current king, my uncle, has a bounty on my head. I was quite sure that he would send someone after me."

I blinked. "You're a prince? Why did you run away?" He looked at the floor. "That's private." I nodded, mostly to myself. "Well, I haven't been near the clans for about a year, maybe two, so I have no idea how things are going." He looked up. "A year? Why did you run away?" I smiled. "That's private." He craked his own smile, and we laughed as if we were best friends. Even though he had just held a knife to my throat.

"Hey, you should come with me. My friends built an awesome house nearby. It's probably better than sleeping on this cold stone floor." He thought about it for a second. "You know what? Fine. And I haven't been sleeping on the stone. I made myself a wool sleeping bag." He picked it up from the floor and showed it to me. "Nice work. How did you make this?"" He smiled smugly. "I'm a stray. Y'know, a relative of the skeleton. We can hunt and craft. We have to, since most of us live in cold, merciless biomes."

I nodded, and gestured for him to follow. The sun was starting to set, and we picked up the pace. We saw a few mobs, but not a single creeper. Once we left the edge of the forest, I noticed that the guys were outside fighting off monsters. "Would you look at that. We might need to help out a little." Jack nodded and pulled his bow off his shoulder, quickly nocking an arrow into it. Correction, two arrows. I hadn't brought my demo-belt, but I had my swords. No better way to test them, right?

We dashed onwards, and the monsters quickly turned to us. I ran about, slashing my blades. I liked to cross them and the extend them with force, creating an X before slicing monsters to bits. I noticed Jack had been rapid-firing his bow, even shooting at endermen before they could warp away. The gang had noticed our presence by now, and they were making slow progress towards us.

We ended up scaring away the rest of the mobs by the time we got back together. I turned to the guys, noticing that they were all sweaty and tired, and the first thing I said was hi. "Hi, guys." Needless to say, this didn't go over well. Sarah was having what looked like a mental breakdown while Thomas tried to comfort her, and Lila looked furious. "What the hell do you mean 'hi'?!?" She was about to speak again when Sarah said something. "Jack?"

We turned to the stray. He flashed a grin and answered. "Hey, cuz. You alright?" Her face was that of complete stupefaction, and then it turned cold. "What are you doing here?" She turned to me. "Why did you bring him here?" I raised my hands and walked back a bit. "Hey, I didn't know he was your cousin! All I knew was that he was living like a hobo while we had our large house."

Jack spoke up. "Hey, what are you doing here, by the way? I thought you were staying with your dad." She turned back to him. "Our uncle sent me to catch you. He said that if I didn't return withing two weeks he'd kill my father, and mark me as a deserter." Jack's eyes widened. "Really? That... I can't even." Her gaze sharpened. "No. You can't." And then, fast as lightning, she pulled out her knife and held it to his throat.

Thomas interfered. "Hey, wait, what? I don't know how your politics work, but I'm pretty sure that killing your cousin isn't a good thing, so stop!" She turned to face him, knife still at Jack's throat. "He killed his own brother just to become king. How is that any different from what I'm going to do?"

Thomas blinked once and then composed himself. "The difference is that you're not going to get rewarded in any way! Even if you take him home alive, there's nothing left for you at that place! No family, no friends. But you have us." He gestured to our embarrassed little group. "Our home. You've got me."

She looked at him, unwavering. He inched closer, and put his hands on her shoulders. "Do you need anything else?" For a strait second I thought she was just going to kill Jack anyway, but she lowered her knife, and embraced Thomas. Jack gasped. "It's... really hard to breathe... while there's a knife... at your throat..." I smiled at him.

"Welcome to my world."

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Thoma's POV

I convinced Sarah to take a walk with me in the morning and after breakfast, mostly so Jack could get acquainted with everyone without her thinking up ways to assasinate him. I told Simon just before we left, and he thought it was a great idea. He and Jack had become good friends in the span of probably two-to-three hours, and that was very weird for our recident creeper. He hadn't talked to the spiders until after an entire day had passed since we met them.

I took Sarah towards the lake, thinking that a walk along the sand would do her good. We wandered in silence for a bit before she spoke up. "Why did you stand up for him? He's a criminal." I looked at her. "Because I didn't know the full story, and I know you don't either." My tone was that of an annoyed adult talking to their youngest child. She nodded, knowing I wouldn't answer further questions on the subject. After a short period of silent walking, her face took on a light shade of red and she spoke again.

"Um, when the cave blew up, and we were trapped, were you going to...?" She didn't need to finish to let me know what she was talking about. I felt my own face reddening a little. "Well, I mean... were you?" This sudden reversal of the question took her aback, and I smiled. "Well, I, uh, I mean... let's change the subject." I nodded, still smiling. Her face was bright red now.

It took us a couple of hours to reach the lake at this pace. We took off our boots and walked along the shore barefoot, feeling the sand move and take shape beneath our feet. Sarah spoke again after a while. "I like this. Just us two, walking along the sands of the lake, no worries or thoughts." I nodded. "Yes, I like this too. The way the sun feels on my skin, and the way the sand moves beneath me."

Sarah giggled, something I don't recall hearing before. "You can be so weird sometimes, Thomas." We stopped walking and she turned to me, extending her arms to place them on my shoulders. "But that's why I like you." Her face inched closer and she shut her eyes, her arms locking around my neck. Unsure of what to do, I held her sides, and moved my head closer.

I shut my eyes, and after a second I felt her soft lips brush mine. We held eachother closer still, our kiss deepening. As far as I can remember, this had never happened to me, but I was glad it was with Sarah. We pulled apart to breathe for a moment before uniting again. We stayed like that, in a beautiful, unbroken kiss for a few fleeting seconds, before pulling apart gasping for breath.

"That was... amazing. I had never met such a good kisser, Thomas." I smiled, noticing that both our faces were beet red. "Thanks. I had never been kissed, so that makes us even." Her goofy smile widened, and she walked up to me, staying close by my side. "I guess it does. Let's keep walking, Okay?" I nodded, and held her hand. She looked like she was going to pull away for a second, but she happily gave it a squeeze. I returned it, and we set off, unaware that someone had been watching us the entire time.

The hatred and heartbreak evident in their crimson eyes.

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Very Happy Author's Notes

Yay! Finally some actual romance-ish stuff! Well, some solid stuff at least. And also, I'm pretty sure most of you know who was watching the couple at the end...

Also also, this might seem sudden because I haven't used Sarah's POV in the last few chapters, at least not for character development. But according to the story in my head, this 'affection' had started when they exited the woods together a few chapters ago. When Eba noticed them laughing together.

Anywho, thank you for your support and time, And good day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	18. The Moonlit Dance

Author's Notes

Nothing to say, on with the story! Thomas is starting.

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Thoma's POV

It had been almost a week since Sarah and my escapade to the lake, but this is the first time I had noticed a change. Not even between us, actually. The only person who seemed to have changed was Valory. We all noticed that she was getting much less sleep, and she was behaving very differently around me. She lost all her

self-confidence, then became shy, reserved. And she avoided Sarah altogether.

Lila warned us that this might become a problem. "She's never been like this. I mean, there have been some instances, but she's never changed so much and so drastically. And her insomnia isn't helping either, since it's going to start attracting phantoms."

Phantoms were undead flying creatures that resembled manta rays. They had been a serious issue when I first met Sarah. "What can we do to help?" Lila turned towards Sarah, who had asked the question. "I'm not sure. She hasn't talked to me much, and she probably won't get over this until it's caused some serious damage, mostly to herself. She hasn't even been eating breakfast."

That was true, no mater what plate Sarah placed in front of her, Valory would not eat her breakfast. I sent Val and Jack to go gather metals in the caves so the rest of us could have this conversation. Simon spoke up. "This has happened before?" Lila nodded. "Not too many times, but enough for me to see a pattern. It's usually over some guy, or when she fails an important test or something."

Something clicked, then Sarah and I exchanged a look. She turned to Lila. "Umm... do you know where she was when Thomas and I went for a walk?" Lila frowned. "I'm not sure. I think she went out as well, a few minutes later, to 'explore the forest'." I grimaced, and Sarah's poker face cracked, revealing a frightened expression. Simon spoke again, turning to face me. "I think I know why..."

Eba was confused, trying to look at everyone at the same time. "Wait, what's going on?" Lila sighed. "Valory has had a... well, not a crush, an emphatuation with Thomas. And we have a theory that she followed them when he took a walk with Sarah. I don't want to know, but maybe something happened between them that made Valory feel... bad? Like, abandoned, sort of. Ignored."

Eba nodded. "So... now she feels terrible, won't talk to Sarah, or eat, or sleep. And she's shy." Lila nodded. Simon broke in. "How do we fix it?" Lila looked defeated. "I don't know. It had never gone past a couple of days, but it's been five since the... incident, I guess." Everyone looked glum. "I could talk to her." Everyone turned to look at me. "I don't thinks that's a good idea. You might hurt her. On accident."

Lila's words stung, but of course, she was right. Sarah held my hand, something she had never done before. "What if I talk to her? Try to settle things?" Lila looked doubtful, but Simon spoke first. "Well, as long as you catch her off-guard, and she has no weapons, it should be fine. Right?" Lila hesitated a moment longer before nodding. "But I'm warning you, if she gets worse I swear to the lords that I'll gut you myself."

These words were odd, coming from our normally level-headed cave spider, but Sarah only nodded, her poker face back on. "I promise no harm will be done."

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Sarah's POV

I was waiting outside the house when Val and Jack returned, a cobweb sack of ores on both their backs. Jack said hello, while Valory swerved away sharply. I looked on as she deposited her batch at the storage shed, then slowly walked up to her. Our eyes met for a second, and I saw hatred, anguish and fear in hers. Mine showed no emotion.

"Hey, Val." She looked at the floor and mumbled a hello. "I wanted to talk with you for a moment. Is that okay?" She looked at me, her anger evident. Then her gaze moved a little to the right, past me. I heard the door open, and I knew who had walked out. Thomas. She looked at me again, her eyes no longer full of poison.

"Alright." She guided me to a clearing in the woods, where Thomas and Eba had done some logging. We sat down, cross-legged and her eyes turned cold again. Her voice, however, remained even and neutral. "What is it?" I sighed, and got straight to the point.

"I want to help you. We all know what's been troubling you, Val. I'm sorry." Her lips tightened, and her eyes became colder, and sharp. "Really? What would that be, Sarah?" "Everyone knows you had a crush on Thomas, except maybe Thomas himself." She flinched just a little, barely enough to tell me that my suspicions had been correct. I kept going.

"You followed us the day he and I took a walk. You saw everything, didn't you?" She looked conflicted, angry while obviously ashamed and sad. "Yes." She replied in a small, soft voice. "I did. I... don't know why. I just wanted it... to be me. To be the one he wanted to have with him."

I dropped my tough girl façade. "I know. But he didn't want me, he wanted to help me. And to make sure I didn't kill Jack. I was the one that started the kiss. It's my fault." Her sullen eyes turned to me slowly. "Your fault. Yes, true." Her voice became uneven, and she spoke in a weird, incomplete manner. "Why? Should be me. Hate you. Love him. Why?"

She stood up, and left me at the clearing. I rushed behind her, trying to catch her attention. It seemed that my words had made something inside her snap. After a moment, she started walking towards the woods past the house. Lila was waiting. When she realized that Valory wasn't responding, she turned to me with angry, maroon-colored eyes.

"What did you tell her? What did you do?" I stopped. "I told her what happened, and she just bolted." The sun was setting, and we both knew she wouldn't make it on her own like this. "I told you not to hurt her!" I took a step back. "I didn't hurt her! She up and left!" Simon peeked his head out of the house. "What happened?" Lila turned to him.

"Sarah fucked it up and now Valory won't speak!" He looked around. "Where is she?" I pointed to the forest. "She wandered over there, as if in a trance." Lila grabbed Simon's arm and walked in the direction I was pointing. "Come on, creep. Let's go get my sister." He made a few attempts to get away, all of them unsuccessful. Before I could follow them, Lila turned around.

"You're staying here." I was shocked. "But I want to help-" she interrupted me before I could finish. "You've helped plenty. Go snuggle up to Thomas or something." And with that, she dragged Simon to wherever Valory had gone.

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Simon's POV

Lila half-dragged me for more than half the trip before my brain caught up to me and I started walking at the same pace. She was absolutely furious, but at least it wasn't because of me. Sarah is going to die...

We found Valory a couple hours later, in a clearing bathed in moonlight. There was a small tulip in the center. Val was just standing there, not doing anything. Before we could go up to talk with her, she moved, taking two steps, then drawing back. Two steps, draw back. She kept this up for a few moments, actually.

Lila held us both back, and we watched Val from behind a tree. She was moving gracefully now, gliding over the grass in a weird fashion. "It's the... she's performing the Moonlit Dance..." I had no idea what this was. "Right." She answered my unspoken questions as we both stared at Valory with awe.

"It's our clan's most sacred ritual. All spiders are supposed to learn it by heart. But neither one of us had ever been able to do it." She seemed as entranced as I was. Valory swung and swayed, with an air of magnificence, twirling and gliding along the ground.

I noticed we weren't the only ones to be caught by her performance. There were at least twelve phantoms circling lazily above. One by one, in tune with Valory's moves, the swooped down and landed at the edges of the trees surrounding the clearing, chirping as they went.

Lila continued her explanation when I pointed them out. "The dance is supposed to attract them. So the performer can tame one. The only phantom left will have chosen her, if she does the dance right." Then to herself, "that's why she hasn't been sleeping... they are attracted to insomnia..."

We watched in silence as the moon lit up her features, as she turned and turned, every step she took. More and more phantoms started to leave, and when she stopped, there was only one left. Average size, significant features are double pupils, cracked tail scale, slightly lighter coloring.

She kneeled in the clearings, tears running down her face. The critter chirped, and flew upwards, only to dive down again, in front of Valory this time. She extended her arm, and the phantom hopped on it. With a steady voice, she spoke to the monster. "You shall be Nightshade, as there is poison within your beauty."

It chirped, and snuggled up to her. Valory stood up, and turned to face us. She caught us completely off-guard, and we stood up awkwardly. "Hi guys. Come on, let's go home." Nightshade still on her outstretched forearm, she walked past us towards the house.

After a brief and disbelieving moment of hesitation, we followed her.

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Sarah's POV

The next morning was very weird. Valory had gone to sleep without a word, and the phantom on her arm flew into the skies as she entered. It was very awkward, but luckily nothing happened. When we woke up, Valory had been making breakfast, which was my job. Apparently she had gone hunting.

Even if it was good mutton, I was still scared and numb. I showed no signs of this, however. Valory had somehow reverted to her old, air headed state. She no longer was mad at me, and she didn't Moon over Thomas either. When I spoke to her about it, she smiled. "I finally accomplished something I'm proud of. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

The whole thing was very weird. What's more, the phantom from last night returned, and in broad daylight! Valory had taken it into the storage shed, and had come out with it on her forearm like an eagle.

"Guys, say hello to Nightshade." We were all very confused, but mumbled hi nonetheless. Jack opened his dumb mouth to ask a question. "How is Nightshade not burning up?" Valory's smile didn't waver. "I made her a light layer of armor so she doesn't get hurt by the sunlight." Simon nodded, and spoke. But what about her eyes? The sun could turn her blind if she stays out too long. If you want, I can make her some goggles like mine so that doesn't happen."

She nodded eagerly, and they both left to work on the designs. Thomas walked up to me with discomfort in his eyes. "Hey. You alright?" I nodded, poker face still there. He sighed. "Come with me, will you?" He extended his hand, and after some time, I took it within mine. It felt warm, and soft.

We wandered into the forest for a while before he spoke. Our hands never separated. "Please, talk to me. I want to know what you're thinking of." I dropped my poker face and stared at him with sad, tired eyes. "I'm numb. I don't know what to feel. This was so sudden, so... I don't know. I'm tired." I got closer and rested my head on his chest.

He hugged me tightly. "I know, me too. What can I do to help?" I smiled in spite of the weird feeling in my heart. "You can't help everyone, Thomas. There are some things you can't do." He answered, and I could hear his own smile on his voice.

"Try me." He pulled my head back and stared into my eyes. I saw something weird in his. They were a beautiful shade of hazel, but there was something else. A small sliver of gold around his irises. Before I could voice this, he moved his hands so one cupped my cheek and the other held me by the waist.

I lost my train of thought as he pulled me closer, and I closed my eyes. His soft, warm lips melted any worries I had. I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him closer still, getting as close as possible, never wanting to break free. We stayed like that for only a few seconds, but it felt like hours. Just us, sharing our love.

If it wasn't for Jack, we would never have let go.

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More Author's Notes

So! We learned that Valory is a bit weird, she has a pet Phantom, Thomas and Sarah seem serious, and that Jack interrupted something important.

Was this any good? I drive myself to write this story based mostly off of the support from a friend and the amount of views this story gets. So, thank you for sparing some time to at least look at it.

Anywho, Have a good day! :)

~ LeMafiaKreb


	19. Iza

Author's Notes

You ever hear of the phrase 'is somebody boiling cabbage'? I think I know why, now...

Anywho, on with the story! Jack's starting this time.

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Jack's POV

Simon needed some help with the house, and we needed Thomas for whatever it is he was planning. Since I was the closest, he sent me to go after them. Me. The guy Sarah wants to kill, needs to go separate her from Thomas so he can help build the damn house. Why?

I trudged doggedly on nevertheless, hoping that I could catch them at a good time. And I did... sort of. Good for them, not for me. I found them kissing like their lives depended on it, and that made me feel uncomfortable, as well as mildly scared. It was pretty hot, though...

I inched closer, putting on a brave face. Not sure if I succeeded. It was getting pretty intense with all the hugging and whatnot, so I decided to make my presence known before it got out of hand. "*ahem*...uhh, you guys okay?" They stopped and turned to look at me without letting go of each other. Their cheeks were bright red, but Sarah's eyes told me the many ways she planned to commit murder.

"What is it Jack?" I tried to look her straight in the eye, but there was something off-putting. A sort of smugness. It was weird. "Simon needs Thomas' help with the house. Said we're ready to replace the roof with planks." Thomas nodded, then looked at Sarah. They stared at each other for a few minutes before she let go.

Once we were out of earshot, I sighed and shuddered. Thomas smiled at my reaction. "Why are you so scared of her?" Apparently she hadn't told him much about herself. "She was the best warrior of our clan. Passed every test but one with flying colors. And she is out for my blood." We walked in silence for a few moments before he spoke again.

"What happened? Why does she say you're a criminal?" I sighed. "Everyone thinks I'm a criminal. A murderer." I got my thoughts together before continuing. "I had an older brother. Tall, strong, mean as fuck. He was supposed to become the next king, after my uncle. Well... they found him dead. Poisoned, they said. He was just on the floor leaning against a castle wall in one of the towers"

This brought painful memories. Memories I suppressed before they could do their damage. "Everyone thought this had been my doing. They thought I was jealous of him, and decided to 'get him out of the way'. But I know who did it. Even if nobody believes me, I know." I felt a few tears falling down my cheeks and wiped them away.

Thomas nodded and spoke in a soft voice. "Who did it?" I waited for a second before answering. "He did. Never wanted the job. The only thing that dickhead wanted was booze and ass. He didn't want to be king. Bitch killed himself without telling anyone. But I know it was him. Nobody else would kill our beloved prince."

There was a sheen of water on my eyes, and I couldn't stop the tears from falling. We walked in silence for a while. Just before we reached the house, he stopped and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Thank you for sharing this. Nobody should have to carry such a burden by themselves."

I nodded and wiped the tears away. No reason crying over a dead jackass who never even admitted to being my brother. No damn reason at all.

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Simon's POV

I sent Jack absentmindedly, not really paying attention. Only after he left I realized what I had done. Thankfully, he returned with Thomas unharmed. I was pulling out a batch of nails from the furnace, a clay mold with a set of fifteen iron nails. This means he have 135 nails in total. I also forged up some hammers, otherwise we wouldn't be able to nail the boards together.

Eba was already nailing boards together and then nailing them to the roof.when she gets over her shyness, she can be really efficient. We made Jack stay and help after I got everything sorted out with Thomas. Eba teleported herself and him to the roof while Jack and I stayed on the floor preparing the planks.

It took a few hours, but with the four of us together we managed to finish the roof. Now it was irme to test it. I handed Eba a heavy iron ingot and she extended her arm out over the roof. She was supposed to throw it, and it would land near the center, and we would be able to see if it's safe to walk up there.

She threw the ingot and it made a loud thud. But the roof stayed solid. "W-what do I do n-now?" I looked at Thomas. "Well... take Jack up there. He could walk to the center to test it." He turned sharply towards us. "Hey!" Eba warped back down and tentatively hugged Jack. They both turned red as she warped them up to the roof.

"Alright, now walk around. Jump, even." He nodded, a little shaken up from the warp. He wandered around, stomping the roof here and there, until he was satisfied. "I'm sure this could even hold up an anvil." Thomas smirked. "We probably shouldn't test it." I looked at the storage shed. "Not sure if we can. I used up eleven ingots from all this. We have like three left."

He nodded, and Eba spoke up. "C-can I... are we going mining? Because, if we are, I'd like to-to go... if I can." The three of us smiled. She can be so cute sometimes. Thomas nodded. "Yep, you can come along." Suddenly, Valory poked her head out from the house. "What about me?" Thomas hesitated for a second, but I spoke up before he could respond. "Sure. It'll be me, Eba, and you. I will keep the monsters at bay, you are good at mining, and Eba can warp us out once we're done."

They nodded, but Thomas held me back. "Are you sure? You haven't had the best of luck down in the caves." I brushed his hand away. "I'm sure, man. If I don't go, then I'll never get over my fear." He nodded and I turned to get my stuff, making a mental checklist.

Right. Swords, check. Demo-belt, check. Goggles, always. Pick, check. Torches, check. Lamp-light, nope, no helmet. Sarah'll kill me if I take hers. Right, swords, belt, goggles, torches, pick... food. Okay, I'm done. I think. I hope.

I left the storage shed with all my gear, and noticed Val and Eba were waiting outside. I smiled. "You guys ready?" Eba nodded, a tinge of red on her cheeks, and Valory rolled her eyes. "Since a half hour ago! You are very slow." I walked towards the mine. "Only when I want to be." Then I broke into a sprint, dashing as fast as I can, soon leaving them behind.

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Time leap: ten minutes. Simon's POV

I was sweating, but could still breathe alright. I slowed to a stop at the entrance to the mine and waited behind a boulder. I saw them warp to the entrance, and I smiled. "Took you long enough. Just now you decide to warp?" They jumped at my sudden appearance, and Eba gave a breathless shriek.

"How did you...? When...? Huh? You were..." they stumbled for words for a second, and then they just went quiet, defeated. I waved them inside, lighting a torch as I went. We walked for a few hours, confused. "Where are all the metals? This sediment is perfect for iron formations..." Valory kept muttering this sort of thing to herself, and then we started hearing noises.

Pick noises. Hammering, clinks of metal.

Eba hid behind me, and I drew one of my swords. Valory drew a doubleheaded spear from lords-know-where. We walked slowly, still searching for metal. Then we heard a hiss. And footsteps. I recognized the hiss, and understood the words. Darkness. Darkness. Darkness. On and on, they chanted, every hiss saying the same thing over and over again.

Then we heard a scream and an explosion. Eba turned white, Valory narrowed her eyes and I simply stiffened. Then the wall beside us came down. A girl fell with the rubble and stone, half-burned torch in hand. We jumped back, and I saw the girl was heavily bruised and burnt, but alive. As if in a trance, I pulled out a stick of dynamite, and lit it.

The hole in the wall revealed a plethora of monsters, from creepers to endermen. I tossed the dynamite at them and held on to the girl, protecting her with my body from the blast. Before it went off, though, I felt somebody hug me from behind. Then I was floating in the void. For a split second, I saw an achingly familiar face. Then I was back on the surface.

I looked around. We were outside the house, all of us. Even the injured girl. Eba looked exhausted, and she just plopped down onto the grass. Valory immediately started bandaging the girl's wounds with string. Have to ask her where she gets that stuff...

We slowly picked the unconscious girl up and brought her inside. "I'll go check on Eba. You stay here in case she wakes up." I nodded, and Valory left the house. I sat down on one of the beds and waited. Her breathing was shallow, and soft. I took off my gloves and placed my hands on her burns.

They slowly healed, first scabbing, then vanishing. I only dared cure the visible ones. If she had any under her burnt clothes, then I wouldn't fix them. Too intimate. She wore a simple light green t-shirt, and ripped jeans. There was an iron helmet on her head, which I took off, marveling at the craftsmanship. Almost as good as something a creeper would make.

Her hair framed her face, dark brown against pale skin, and pink, round lips. After a short while, her breathing evened out. After some time, everyone sort of walked in at once. Thomas walked up to me and looked at the girl. "How is she doing?" "Better, I think. I healed her burns, and her breathing seems healthier."

Eba looked at me like I had grown a third head. "Y-you can heal burns?" Flashed her a tired smile. "Yes. I'm pretty sure every mob has some sort of healing-related ability." Sarah nodded. "Skeleton's injuries heal quckily if there is no obstruction in the way." Jack nodded too.

Thomas looked at everyone, then at the spiders. "What about you guys?" They looked at each other. "Well, we have string. We can make bandages. And we don't bleed as much." Valory nodded. Then we all turned to Eba. She shrank back a bit, but mumbled an answer. "W-well... I don't know..." her cheeks were reddening, so we let it go.

After a few minutes I saw her eyelids twitch. The rest of the gang was chattering quietly, but I silenced them comepletely with a raised hand. Her lower lip started to tremble slightly, and I could see her eyes twitching beneath their lids. Her fingers were starting to twitch too.

Then, her eyes fluttered open, revealing beautiful light-green eyes. She stared at me for a few seconds before she blinked. Everyone backed off a little, except for me. I could see panic swell up in her eyes, so I held her hand. "Carefully, you're hurt. If you want to sit up, that's fine, just do so slowly. I'll help you." She hesitated for a second before nodding, and I helped her sit on the bed leaning against the wall.

She looked around, and I saw more panic in her eyes, so I looked at Thomas. "It'd probably be for the best if you get everyone out of here." He nodded and ushered everyone out. Then it was just me and the girl. When I turned to face her again, she looked fine. Actually, better than fine.

She was flexing her fingers slowly, as if testing them. Then her elbows and shoulders. She kept her examination, all the way to her legs. I could hear her murmuring to herself as she ran a hand along her thighs. "No breaks... *flinches* a gash... burn... bruise..." I waited silently for a while. Then, once she was done, she turned to me.

"Hi." I smiled. "Hi. How are you feeling?" She smiled in return. "Alright. I don't think I can run, though. Probably walk." I nodded. "Is it okay if I start grilling you?" She blushed a bit and nodded, smile still lighting her face. "Sure. Nobody's ever asked that before." My smile widened. "Well, Im nothing if not polite."

It took a while, but we had fun. She is a slime, she was looking for iron, and the monsters caught her by surprise. "What's your name?" She hesitated for a split second before answering. "Izabell. But I prefer Iza." I nodded. "My name's Simon, but I prefer Simon." She giggled. "You are the weirdest person I have ever met. I smiled again. "You don't know the half of it."

Eventually, she felt safe enough for me to call everyone inside. About time too, as the sun was starting to set. They milled around Iza for a while. Then I asked them to leave her alone. "Come on, guys, give her some space. We all need rest anyways." They reluctantly nodded and everyone went to their places except for me. I was still leaning against the wall beside Iza's current bed.

Thomas noticed and spoke up. "Simon, where are you going to sleep?" I smiled. "On the floor. I'm used to it, so it's fine." Iza was confused. "You sleep on the floor?" No turned to look at her. "No, but my bed is currently under new management." Realization hit her and she blushed, trying to get up from the bed.

"I'm sorry, I'll get off so you can sleep." I held her back and sat her back onto the bed. "No, no, it's fine. You need it more than I do. Get some sleep, Iza." She looked like she was going to resist further, so I gently pushed her back down. "Fine." Her cheeks were red, and she turned over to get into a more comfortable position.

Pulling my hood up, I sat beside the wall and curled up into a ball. Huh. Like old times. I fell asleep to the gentle sound of leaves rustling in the wind. Just like old times.

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Author's Notes

Yay! Another chapter!

I didn't post this yesterday 'cause I was kind of stuck. And under the weather.

The ending to the last chapter felt kind of awkward, and I didn't know how to start. But, I did it! And I added a new character! Yay!

Anywho, thank you so much for your time, And good day!

~ LeMafiaKreb

P.S, all the characters are seventeen. Just FYI

P.P.S, the lore archive will soon feature backstories on everyone but Thomas. Cuz he's special. :)


	20. Muse

Author's Notes

The twentieth chapter is here! I have managed to write 50k words in the span of about 2 weeks, and that is a lot by my standards. Also, the giddiness is back! Not as powerful as it used to be, but it's there nonetheless.

Anywho, on with the story!

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Thoma's POV

I had the dream again, and I woke up from it this time. I can't recall any parts of it now. Just flames. Flames and death. I was just siting there on the bed, panting. My heart was racing, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. The moonlight filtered through the crude walls of the house. Need to replace those soon...

I sighed and breathed deeply, trying to calm myself down. I heard a soft whisper on the bed beside mine. "Thomas?" I turned to look at Sarah. Her usual poker face was nowhere to be seen, and her silver eyes glittered with worry. "What's wrong?" I smiled at her. "Nothing. Bad dream is all." She nodded, but didn't go back to sleep.

She sat up on her bed, facing me. "Do you want to talk about it?" I shook my head, "I can't. Don't remember any of it." She placed her hand on my thigh. I looked at her and she smiled. "Do you think you'll be able to sleep?" I shook my head. "No. At least not until I calm down." She nodded, looking away for a second.

Then she stood up and put on her helmet. "Come on." I smiled at her. "We're going outside?" She gave me a mischievous smile. "Don't think I didn't see you do it with Lila." I felt a blush rise on my face and got up. She took my hand and guided me outside. There were very few monsters, most of them not even aware of our presence.

Sarah took me to a small clearing in the woods, one with a tulip planted on the center. "Sit down, Tom." I smiled. She never called me that, nobody did. "What are we doing?" She placed her elbows on her criss-crossed knees and rested her chin on her open palms. "Talking. I want to know you better."

I nodded, sitting down and getting into a more comfortable position. Maybe this'll help calm me down enough to sleep. "How do we start?" She looked up a the moon. "I don't know. Maybe I should start. What do you want to know about me?" She turned back to me as she spoke the last sentence.

I thought for a moment. "Where are you from?" "The skeleton clan, born and raised in veridon city. The largest skeleton city and home to the king's castle." I nodded. "Is it my turn now?" She smiled and nodded. "How do you feel?" This was a weird question. For as long as I'd known Sarah she had never once spoken about feelings. Except for that time when we were trapped in the mine...

"Tired. Scared and... tired." She nodded, not pressing any further. "My turn to answer." I thought about my options for a few seconds. "What was your life like before... this?" She smiled. "Monotone. Boring. It was the same thing every day, wake up, go report, guard this, defend that. Return, eat, sleep, repeat." I nodded.

We spent a few hours talking. Our game of twenty questions turned into us just talking and sharing stories. I didn't have many to tell, just some where she wasn't around, like when Eba helped me gather logs. "I was supposed to teach her how to use a bow. And she was going to teach me to carve."

I smiled. "I'm sure she hasn't forgotten. You guys just haven't had much time." We ended up laying down side by side, staring at the moon. After some time, Sarah shifted closer and rested her head against mine. "How do you feel now?" I turned to look into her gorgeous silver eyes. "Better. I feel like I can finally sleep now." She smiled. "And... what about me? How do you feel about me?"

There was a light blush on her cheeks, and her eyes shifted away slightly. I placed my hand on her cheek. "You are the best, most beautiful, complex person I have ever met. The bravest, and strongest of us." She looked in my eyes, searching for doubt that wasn't there. Looking for any sign of a lie. To no avail.

She flashed me a timid smile I had never seen on her before. "And you are the smartest, most caring person in my life. I'm glad I met you, Thomas." She grasped my hand in her own and gave it a squeeze. I returned the gesture and pulled her closer, to the point that she was resting on my shoulder.

We gazed at the stars for a long time, just the two of us, until we both fell asleep.

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Simon's POV

I woke up against the side of the wall, and it took me a second to gather my bearings. Immediately after, I started fiddling with an old proyect. Folding and twisting and rearranging gears. It had rested unfinished for two years because I had lost my inspiration. I used to fiddle with it every morning, but I hadn't touched it since a few days ago.

After a few minutes, I heard Iza move, and looked up. She was rubbing the sleep from her eyes, sitting up on the bed. I returned to my little gizmo. I heard her stretch, and I felt her curious gaze on me. "Hi." I looked up, smiling. "Hi. How do you feel?" She made a quick inspection of her limbs before turning back to me.

"Alright, I think. There are some burns here and there, but not as many as I thought there would be. And most of the bruises and cuts are healing properly." I returned to my task. "I healed the burns that were visible. There are some beneath your clothes that I didn't treat. I didn't want you waking up to find my hand under your shirt."

She giggled, and the melodic sound made something in my heart shift. "Where is... Thomas? And... Sarah?" I could tell she was having some trouble remembering their names, and I just now realized that they weren't here. "They probably just went hunting. They do that, sometimes, just wander off together."

She nodded and got into a more comfortable position. "Why don't you sit up here? It's more comfortable." I stared at her. "You are awfully trusting for someone who just got nuked." She smiled. "And you are awfully nice for someone who had to sleep on the floor because of me." We stared at each other smiling.

Finally, I got up and sat at the edge of the bed. "You need anything?" She opened her mouth and then closed it again, probably thinking better of something. After another brief hesitation, she spoke up. "What are you working on?" I turned back to the jumble of metal plates in my hands. "It's... an old proyect of mine. I decided to finish it once and for all."

She nodded. Then she began to tie her dark brown shoulder-length hair into a tall ponytail. "What are we going to have for breakfast?" I turned back to my device. "Whatever the two lovebirds bring us." She giggled again, and I felt the shift deep within my heart.

I found my muse again.

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Eba's POV

Last night I had a small problem. The itching in my head returned, but thankfully not as strongly as the first time. I decided to take a bath in the middle of the night so nobody noticed. Simon had made extra blankets from the wool, so I borrowed one to use as a towel. It was refreshing, washing my hair in the lake with the moon shining down.

There was a small island in the middle of the lake, so I warped there. I sat down and stared into the night sky, examining every speck of light. The moon looked beautiful that night. I rested on the tallest rock of the island, drying myself out. After a few moments, I decided to build something here. Somewhere to rest.

I left once I was dry and jumped into my clothes. I warped back home and noticed Thomas and Sarah had gone too. I didn't know if I wanted to look for them or sleep. I thought that maybe they needed a bath too, and decided to sleep instead. When I woke up, I noticed that they hadn't come back. This worried me.

Simon and the new girl were chatting away, seemingly without realizing I was awake. "Umm... wh-Where is... Thomas and Sarah?" They turned around. "I'm pretty sure they went hunting." I shook my head. "They had been gone since last night." Iza looked surprised, and Simon raised an eyebrow, his eyes as expressionless as always.

I felt the blush hot on my cheeks, and mumbled the rest. "I-I had gone to take a bath... and when I came back they weren't here..." Simon nodded and stood up. "Let's go find them. I'm sure they're not hurt since Sarah took her helmet, and she never parts from her bow, but you never know. They might have gotten lost somehow."

I nodded, and the girl tried to stand up. Immediately, Simon was by her side, gently pushing her back down. "You still need rest. Your wounds might get infected." The girl smiled and pushed him away playfully. "I'm a medic. If I say I can go, then I'll go." Simon feigned dislike and 'tsk'd disaprovinlgy. His eyes were bright, brighter than I had ever seen.

"Fine, but if you get blown up again then I won't help you." Iza giggled and extended her arm for him to help her up. "If I get blown up again, I don't think anyone will be able to help me." Slowly, they worked together to stand her up. Her shirt was broken in a few places, but not too much. The bandages were covering her up anyways. Her jeans were ripped at the knees, but I'm pretty sure that was intentional. She also wore boots.

She tested her legs, stomping down and nodding to herself. "Right. I probably shouldn't run, but I can walk without any issue." Simon nodded, and guided her out. Iza's arm was looped around his outstretched elbow in a 'gentlemanly' fashion. I followed them through the door.

It took us a few hours, but we eventually found Thomas and Sarah curled up and sleeping on a clearing in the forest. Simon said that we probably shouldn't bother them. I stared for a while, capturing the moment. I knew what I wanted to draw once Thomas got me my notebook.

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Unknown POV

I messed with my flame for a while, creating all sorts of shapes. I know he died, I was there. I saw him. This must mean he is on his last life. The light is almost gone. The thought made me smile. It felt good to burn that village to the ground. But I wouldn't be able to slay him like this. No matter how powerful I am, we will always die.

The slime girl almost saw me. If she had, that would have probably put a dent in my plans. But I sicced the monsters on her. They didn't hesitate to attack. I smiled again. How easy it is to bend the simple ind of these monsters. To make them do my bidding.

Our fight has gone on for more than a thousand years, an endless cycle of life and death. But I broke the cycle. Now I have time to prepare, to gather an army. I rested against an old, unused portal, it's tough obsidian cool. Using my black flames, I lit the portal, and the gateway appeared. It was time to take over one of the three realms.

Time to end our fight for good.

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Author's Notes

Ughhh... I have a mild headache! :(((

I hope you liked this chapter. It was a bit difficult for me to finish, but I managed.

Anywho, thank you for your time, and good day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	21. A Little Scuffle

Author's Notes

Right. Time to get back to work...

I don't think I have anything to apologize for since nobody complained about my not uploading anything, but I will anyways. I'm sorry I was busy getting my ass kicked on Ark. For two days straight.

So! Here we go again!

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Sarah's POV

The last couple of days had been very busy. Our little plot farmland was almost ready to harvest, it's leaves turning a crisp golden color. The trees we planted had started to grow, the saplings now almost as tall as me. It had been almost a month since I had met Thomas, and the realization hit me out of the blue.

A month. A month away from home, a month not knowing if my father is alright, a month with the best person on the planet. A month with Thomas. A month with 'the gang', as Simon calls us. A month. Time really does fly...

Valory and Lila were making new clothes for Iza, and everyone else but me was helping replace the walls of the house. Jack, Simon and Thomas had their hearts and minds set on the idea of having it with it multiple stories, and having a sort of basement where they could, in Simon's words, 'perform diabolical experiments'.

The problem with this was that if the base or foundation wasn't strong enough, they would never be able to build neither up, nor down. So, they are replacing the crude walls with strong plank ones. I took a walk, as I feel rather uncomfortable with building. It's just not my forté.

I wandered about, picking flowers along the way. Thomas likes them, so I plan on giving him some. In my wandering, I ended up back at the clearing where I'd planted the tulip, the clearing where I acknowledged my mother's birthday. I stood there, numbly watching the plant in the sunlight. It filtered through the petals, giving them a washed-out look, and staining the grass with color.

Then, I heard a twig snap behind me.

I swiftly turned around and aimed my bow in the direction of the sound, but saw nothing. Suddenly, the shadows shifted, and two dark grey eyes stared back at mine. I heard the familiar *shing* of a sword being drawn, and I fired. The shadow deflected the arrow, sending it into the ground. It walked towards me, and emerged into the clearing.

It was a skeleton, a wither skeleton. We rarely see them in the city, but most of them become renouned warriors and generals. He was taller than me, maybe even taller than Thomas. His massive broadsword looked to be made of pure obsidian, and the hilt of tough stone.

I fired as fast as I could, but he kept deflecting the shots. "I have come for the young prince Jack, and the warrior named Sarah. They are deserters, and the king has sent me to bring them in." I scowled at him. "You will do no such thing."

Then, picking an arrow I thought I would never have the courage to use, I fired towards the house. "That was a terrible shot." I flashed him an angry and cold smile. "That depends on your perspective of life."

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Thomas' POV

We were in the middle of swapping one of the half-log walls for planks when a red-tipped and colorful arrow pierced the soft material inches from my head. I let out a surprised yelp and jumped back. Instantly, everyone turned to look at me, even the spiders.

Jack gasped and jumped from the roof, landing deftly on the ground like a cat. He pulled the arrow from the wall and examined it. "Sarah needs help." The thought gave me chills. She never asked for help, with anything. "What? How do you know? Where is she?"

Jack kept his cool even under my barrage of questions. Pointing to the direction the arrow came from, he spoke. "Over there. This arrow is usually used as a call for help, or a beacon if lit on fire. A flare. The few times I talked with Sarah she told me that she would never need help, and would have no use for it."

This made me anxious. "Well, let's go help her! Come on!" I started running without waiting for a reply. Simon dashed by my side, easily catching up to me. "Here", he handed me one of his swords. "It would be stupid of you to try helping without a weapon." I nodded and muttered my thanks, but didn't stop.

The sword's hilt was covered in thick soft leather, the blade itself had two edges, and was not entirely flat. It was sort of like a rhombus if you looked at the very tip. A really flat rhombus. I could tell the blade was very sharp, definitely sharper than Sarah's hunting knife.

I turned back once and saw that everyone but Eba and Iza were following. Eba had a concerned fear in her eyes, and Iza was trying to comfort her by rubbing her hand along Eba's arm. We raced through the forest and started hearing metallic sounds, like clinks of blades on blades.

We broke through the forest and into a clearing, where Sarah was looked with a very big dude. He had black tinted iron armor, and a large broadsword that glittered in the light. Sarah was dodging and dashing about, occasionally swinging at him with her knife or shooting with her bow.

The warrior noticed us and he narrowed his dark eyes. Then, he swung his sword towards us, tripping Sarah in the process. She landed with a thud against the ground, groaning from the fall. His sword made a clean cut through a tree, and he almost chopped he in half.

Simon didn't miss a beat, dropping to his knees and sliding towards our opponent. He had a stick of dynamite in his hands, and lit the fuse as he placed it on our opponent's hip, in a small crevice between his iron leggings and chest plate. The large warrior softly knocked it away, and it exploded mid-air, stunning him.

I dashed forwards and brought my sword down, just as everyone else started attacking. Valory had her spear, Lila her knives, jack was firing his bow, and Simon was poking and swinging at him with his sword. Somehow, the warrior managed to block most of our attacks, although a few cuts and arrows were poking out of him.

I jumped back to avoid a blow and saw Sarah trying to stand up. I ran to her and knelt down, helping her up. "Are you Okay?" She smiled bitterly. "Never... better..." I helped her to her feet and I heard a yelp of pain. Turning to look at the mass of fighting bodies, I saw that the warrior had knocked Jack to the ground.

"He's... come for us... Jack and I... the king... sent him..." Sarah was breathing heavily, but I didn't find any wounds on her except for a few scrapes on her knees. Jack stood back up just as the warrior pushed Simon away, making him stumble and fall. I propped Sarah against a tree. "Stay here, Alright? Don't get in the fight. You're too weak and tired."

I dashed back into the fight before she could argue. The warrior looked tired, but I noticed hat my friends had cuts all over them. Most of the cuts were small, as if they had managed to dodge part of the blow, but Simon and Lila had large cuts on their arms. I swung at the warrior sideways and hit him behind the knee.

His legs buckled, and he fell. I didn't pierce his flesh because of the armor protecting him, but I managed to bring him down. Before he could retaliate, Jack kicked his sword away and I put my own against his throat. Everyone was panting, but they didn't let their guard down for one second.

I felt the hatred in my own eyes, and saw it reflected on the warrior's. "Who are you? Why did you attack us?" The hatred in his eyes vanished and was replaced with respect. "You are good fighters, especially the creeper. I am Adrian, and I was sent by the king to hunt down and capture the young prince Jack and the warrior Sarah."

He took off his helmet and I let him stand up. "I cannot return to the king empty-handed. He will kill me and my family without a second thought." I narrowed my eyes and thought for a second. Well... we could use a brawler like him. "What if you stay with us?"

I heard gasps behind me as I rough my sword down and away from Adrian. His eyes widened a little in surprise. "You would allow an enemy warrior into your home after such a battle?" I smiled. "Why not? As long as you no longer harm or threaten us, you are welcome to stay."

He seemed to consider this as he swept our group with his gaze. He was a good two inches taller than me and had no trouble. His eyes lingered on Sarah and he spoke. "You are a brave warrior. Not many of our kind would call for help, too stubborn to admit they couldn't handle an enemy."

She narrowed her eyes a him. "I know when I'm outmatched." Adrian nodded. "Yes, and that makes you a great fighter." He turned to me. "I accept your offer. I shall not intentionally harm or threaten any of you for as long as I live under your roof." He turned to Jack, who had picked up Adrian's sword.

Adrian extended his hand out to him, and Jack gave me a confused look. I nodded and he handed the sword to the large skeleton. "Thank you." He turned towards the house and started walking. But before he disappeared under the brush and leaves, he turned around.

"I enjoyed our little scuffle. Perhaps we can do it again someday." Then he turned back and wandered into the forest towards home.

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Simon's POV

As soon as the wither skeleton was out of earshot, everyone started hounding at Thomas. "Why did you do that?" "How could you think we can trust him?" "He almost killed Sarah!" "How can you be so stupid?" On and on, they attacked him. I stood by his side and took my sword back without a word. Then I pulled one of my explosives out of my hoodie and lit the fuse.

Everyone went quiet immediately and I turned it off before it could explode. "Right. Now that I have your attention, I'd like to point out that Thomas is a great guy. Even though you -" I turned to the spider sisters. "- attacked him and I, he still invited you to come home.

He stood up for you -" I turned to Jack. "- when Sarah tried to slit your throat. What did you think he was going to do? He is a good guy at heart, and as such he invited our ex-enemy to stay with us. Besides, a warrior Ike him aught to keep his promises, right?" Reluctantly, everyone muttered agreement.

"Good. Now let's go home. We need to check up on Eba and Iza." I turned around and walked home without waiting for the rest of the gang. After a few minutes we emerged into the plains and could see the house from here. Eba was trying to hide behind Iza who was standing in a tense battle pose apparently yelling at Adrian to go away.

I smiled and called for them. "Hey! He's okay! Thomas let him stay, everything is fine!" The three of them turned towards me. Iza gasped and ran to my side, immediately pulling string bandages from her jean pockets. She placed one hand on my chest and used the other to push away my hoodie sleeve.

It stung and I realized that there was a throbbing pain on my forearm. Iza bandaged the long cut on my arm and then ran her hand along it's length. She proceeded to check the rest of me, blushing slightly as she passed through my chest and legs. "You have a few bruises, and a few cuts. How is everything fine?"

I smiled sheepishly. "Nobody got seriously hurt..." her expression was that of fear and surprise. "Seriously hurt? How can you be the judge of that?" My smile widened and I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Everyone can walk, nobody is bleeding heavily, and they are all pissed at Thomas"

She sighed and looked down with half-lidded eyes, but I noticed the small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. I felt that stirring in my heart again, this time greater. She looked back up at me and saw something in my eyes, something that made her blush.

We stood that way until Jack slapped me in the shoulder. "Get a room, you two. Unless you feel like helping out?" Iza's blush deepened and she dashed away to treat the other's wounds. I smirked at Jack and returned the blow, but with more force. "She's going to help you last, you know."

Jack smiled. "Yeah, but hey. Small price to pay for a little entertainment." Then he turned away and wandered over to talk to Lila. I I stood there and put my hands in my pockets, where my fingers brushed against the smooth metal of an old proyect. I smiled and looked at the sky.

Soon, it will be finished, and I can finally put an old wound to rest.

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Unknown POV

I grinned in satisfaction as I drew my sword from the deceased pigman warrior, it's void-dark blade glittering with blood. I continued wandering the nether caverns, in the direction of the throne room. More warriors dashed at me, and I swiftly took their heads off with a single blow. My sword, cast from black flames, extended and shape-shifted whenever I wanted.

There was a large netherrack door in my way, and I brought it down with a massive fireball, spreading bits of rock everywhere. Four elite pigmen warriors drew their broadswords but stood their ground. At the far end of the room stood the throne, and it's king upon it. The king snapped his fingers, and the warriors put their swords down.

The king stood and spoke with a booming voice. "Who are you? Why are you here?" I smirked. "I am Darkness, and I have come for your head." The king, a brave warrior, showed no emotion. But I could smell his fear, like fresh blood from an open wound.

Then, he drew his own sword, and the five pigmen ran at me, expecting a fair fight. I was going to give them no such thing. I forged a second blade and swung them both in an outwards arc, starting from the center. As I swung, the blades extended, neatly slicing them all in half.

Sheathing my original sword and dropping the second, I walked up to the throne. And demolished it with my bare hands.

One down, three to go.

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Happy Author's Notes

Yay, I finally managed to finish the twenty-first chapter!

How is it going so far? If anyone has concerns or complaints or suggestions or an urge to tell me anything, then send me a review! Please? :D

Anywho, this one took a while to push out because I was in the middle of sulking again. Because ark is hard. :( Also, I have school, so that too.

Anyways, thank you for your time and support, and have a great day!

~ LeMafiaKreb

P.S, I'll try to upload the next one in half the time, 'Kay?


	22. A Day Spent Making Progress

Author's Notes

I have a third follower! Thank you so much RIGGBI299 for your support! Also, I tend to check the amount of views on the story, no? So, I checked the day before yesterday and it was at like 386 or something, but when I uploaded the last chapter that number just sort of boomed to 411!

This is one of the things that makes me happy and motivates me to continue with the story! Anywho, enough blabbing, here's the next chapter!

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Iza's POV

It took three days for everyone to fully recover, but at least it was because of the sheer quantity of cuts and scrapes. The wither skeleton, Adrian, has been constantly apologizing for the wounds. I can tell everyone but Lila is fed up with him. At first, it looked like he always thought very highly of himself, but we realized that he is almost as unsure of himself as Eba sometimes.

Simon, Eba, Thomas and Jack have finished replacing the crude walls with the planks, and now they want to try their luck with a second floor. I insisted on having a med-bay, but Thomas and Jack argued that we had no real need for it as of now, so it would be a waste of resources.

A med-bay. Being a waste of resources? How dare they!

I giggled at the thought. I liked to imagine me being all evil and stuff, and saying all sorts of evil things with a mock angry face. It was one way to amuse myself. Simon was telling Thomas that without the metal from their last mining run, they would need more stat. I remembered that I was the reason they hadn't found any...

"Um, guys? I could help with the metal issue." They turned to look at me and Simon spoke."you don't have to. Remember how badly wounded you were last time?" I shuddered. "Don't remind me..." Thomas was thinking it over. "You're a slime, right?" I nodded and he continued. "So, your clan is supposed to consist of multiple miners." I nodded again.

"My family had three miners and two medics. I was the second, the first being my mom. My dad and two brothers were miners." Thomas nodded. "Do you think you could find metal nearby? So we don't have to go deep underground?" Simon looked skeptical and a tad worried. "I... think I can. Is there a lake nearby?"

Thomas smiled and Simon grinned. "Yes, why?" "Well, watery areas usually contain lots of metal formations, so if there is a lake nearby we could gather metal without going underground." Simon's eyes changed a little, relief flooding their green depths. I realized that he never took off his goggles...

Thomas pointed to somewhere in, or through, the woods. "C'mon, let's go see if you're right." He called to Eba before we left. "Eba? Do you think you and Jack can handle it for a while?" She looked a bit confused and worried. "I, uhm... think so? Jack?" The stray looked up from his work. "Yeah, Yeah, you just go. We'll be needing that metal anyways."

Thomas nodded and we continued on. After a few minutes we emerged from the forest into a beautiful lake with sandy shores. Simon turned to me. "How abut it? Think this'll have metal?" I could already smell the metals, their strong pungent scent rising from the water.

"Plenty of it. Um... are you planning on just jumping in and getting it out?" Simon opened his mouth and then closed it, apparently reconsidering his words. Thomas had a blush blossoming on his cheeks. "Ehh... maybe we should have thought of that earlier..."

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Valory's POV

I noticed Thomas and Simon leading the new girl to the lake and smiled. I had an inkling that they would come back rather embarrassed and would ask Lila and I to make them swimsuits.

And, lo and behold, my prediction became true. Simon had his usual poker face on, but the other two were blushing slightly, and Iza was giggling. Before they came back, I started messing with my string and made Iza a cute lime green one-piece. I asked Lila to help me make the boy's swim gear and she agreed.

If nothing else, we never argue when it comes to making clothes. I made Thomas some trunks and Lila was making a one-piece for Simon. Dark green, while the trunks were dark blue. When they arrived, I simply smiled and handed Iza her swuimsuit. The look on her face warmed my heart and made me laugh.

"How did you know we were going to ask for this?" I smirked. "I saw you three leaving towards the lake, and had a feeling you would come back asking for these." Simon nodded. "Thanks, Val. Come on, guys." He took his clothes and thanked Lila, then turned to the lake and walked away.

"What's up with him?" Thomas sighed. "I'm not sure. I think he's still afraid of caves, if only a little. He probably just wants to make sure that the metals are real and he doesn't have to go mining for them." I nodded, but Iza looked a bit stupefied. "He's... scared of caverns? Why?"

Thomas smiled. "The first time he and I went mining, we met Valory and Lila. They sort of kidnaped us and Simon didn't take it too well." She turned to me in horror, and I laughed again.

We didn't do anything to them! We thought they were mobs is all." Iza nodded and calmed down visibly. "That's it?" Thomas shook his head. "The second time was when we met Jack. He had been hiding in a cave and put a knife to his throat." She looked even more horrified.

"Why does everyone want to kill him?" Thomas ached along with me this time. "They were all misunderstandings, Iza. Nobody meant to kill him." She nodded, trying to calm herself down. "Why are you getting so worked up for that emotionless creep? He's never complained or anything."

Blush spread on Iza's cheeks. "W-well, I just didn't know... and he obviously wouldn't complain. He's also not emotionless! Or a creep!" I smiled and spoke with a mock baby voice. "Aww, does somebody have a cwush on the cweepew boy?" Her blush deepened. "No I don't!"

Before I could continue tormenting her, a shout rang out from the forest. "Well? Are we going or not?" Iza immediately turned and walked stiffly towards Simon. Thomas gave me a disapproving look before following her. I smiled and sat down, returning to the task at hand.

I was making some clothes for Nightshade, just little pieces of cloth with different colors and patterns. I whistled for her, and she swooped down from the sky. I can never tell where she comes from. She landed on my shoulder and chirped. I smiled and pet her scaly head. Simon had helped me make her goggles, and she looked so cute! Like a little steampunk character.

I draped some of the cloth on her back, swapping it for the simple violet 'robe' she currently had. It was dark blue with white and green patterns. There was a hexagon shape in the center of it, and white around it. Nightshade inspected her new robe and chirped happily, rubbing up against my jaw.

I fed her every night, walking outside with raw meat and whistling for her. She nibbled it out of my hand, always resting on my shoulder before leaving again. I made sure she was safe and well-fed so she didn't attack any of us. I didn't think she would, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Nightshade chirped and took off again, performing lazy circles and loop-de-loops before disappearing. I really need to find out where she goes...

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Eba's POV

"Ow! Jack!" The stray laughed a little. "Sorry about that. Need to be more careful." I felt a blush on my cheeks. "Please be more careful." He smirked. "That's what I said." He had accidentally hit my hand with a board he was going to place on the walls. The second floor was harder to build than the first, but we were doing good so far, I think.

After we replaced the walls, Simon carved windows into the planks. We were working on the walls and planned to add the windows this time so he doesn't put himself in danger. So far we had built up one and a half walls. I was proud of our progress. I still need to show Sarah how to carve...

We continued building through the afternoon, and were almost finished with the last wall by the time the sun began to set. Thomas, Simon and Iza came back with loads of metal ore, and Simon got to smelting it immediately after. Iza kept bugging us about making a med-bay, and Thomas finally agreed.

"Fine, Fine, you win. Well make a medbay as soon as we finish the top floor." She nodded, and I spoke up. "Um... Thomas? I, uh, I think we um... May have a bit of a problem?" He raised an eyebrow at me and I felt my face grow hot. "W-well, we cant exactly get to the second floor..."

He blinked. "What? Why not?" I smiled sheepishly at the ground. "W-we don't have a ladder..." the realization hit him and his own lush spawned on his face. The sight made me and Iza giggle. "Right. We'll have to work on that... uh, Iza? Where do you want the med-bay?" It took her a while to stop giggling enough to answer.

"Well... I'd like to have it on the bottom floor, for easy access." Thomas nodded. "Okay, then. We could either make a new room or use the bottom one for now. We can add rooms upstairs later, and won't need to sleep in what is essentially barracks." Iza thought for a second. "Is it okay if I want it to be a separate room?"

Thomas smiled and nodded. "Of course. Eba, do you want to come with me tomorrow? I'll need your help with logging." My blush returned and I angrily stored it away. It annoys me so much! I can never keep it off my face... "Y-yes, I'll help. Do... do you think Sarah could make me more mutton jerky?"

I stared hopefully at him. Thomas smiled and turned. "Sarah? Could you come here?" Sarah appeared out of nowhere, deftly jumping down from a tree's branches. "Yes? What's wrong, Tom?" Tom? Nobody calls him Tom. What? "Eba was wondering if you could make her some more mutton jerky."

She smiled at me. "Of course! I'd love to, Eba." I smiled sheepishly again and could not stop the blush from rising again. "Th-thank you..." it seemed that Sarah was behaving differently now. Brighter, and more open. She smiles a lot, nowadays... wonder why? Maybe she's been eating more mutton?

Everyone was inside chatting, except for Adrian. He was sitting on his bed in the corner, staring out the window. Lila broke off her conversation with Jack and walked over to Adrian. "Hey." He turned to look at her. "Hi." She sat on the bed beside his. "How are you doing? Did Iza treat your wounds?" He smiled. "Reluctantly."

Lila nodded. "Why don't you take off your armor? It must be very uncomfortable to sleep with." She was right. He hadn't taken his armor off since the day of the battle. He turned his eyes downward. "I'm... afraid that someone will try to kill me in my sleep." Lila's eyes widened. "What? No! Nobody will kill you in your sleep!"

He turned to her. "Are you sure? I almost killed them before." She nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I know. But they can be very forgiving. Valory and I kidnaped them. Did you know that?" He looked incredulous. "Really?" Lila smiled. "Yes. Thomas and Simon had gone mining and bumped into us. We thought they were mobs."

They talked for a while until Thomas called lights out. Lila had never been much of a people person, and Sarah had never been a happy person. What is going on?

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Unknown POV

I wandered the glowstone-lit path of refined netherack. This was the last stretch of hallway that would lead me to the second throne room, where the Magma Cube king sat. There were two warriors wielding axes standing guard beside the large netherbrick door. "Halt!" One of them said. "State your business."

I smiled. "My business is with your king." I summoned black fireballs on both my hands and threw them at the guards. Their bodies were instantly incinerated, and I felt their souls escape the realm. No matter. I had bigger fish to fry.

I pushed the door open and was greeted with two more guards and the king sitting on his throne. "How did you get past my guards?" He was angry, and that was welcome. "They were guards? I thought they were decorative targets." This filled him with rage. "After him!" He motioned to me and the guards attacked.

I swiftly took their heads with my sword. "Come on, big guy. I'm going to have some fun with you." He stood from his throne and brought out a massive obsidian hammer. "Then let's have fun." My sword morphed to take the shape of a warhammer. I smirked at the king. "Let's."

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Author's Notes

Ahh, that felt good. :D

It had been a while since I had written anything, and I enjoyed the experience.

Also, shoutout to GiggiEba for the support! They make Minecraft and slenderman stories, so if you're into that, go check them out!

Anywho, thank you all for your time and support, and have a great day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	23. A Hole In The Wall

Author's Notes

I appreciate all of the wonderful support from everyone! Le's get on with the story!

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Simon's POV

Once I got back on track, my proyect came along smoothly. At first glance, it was a simple shining box, but when you pushed a button on one side, the box unfolded and created a beautiful metal rose. I left the guys to work on the second floor and the stairs so I could finish it in secret.

I sat lounging on a massive tree's roots, resting against it's trunk. I played it to make sure it worked, and sure enough, every time I reset it and pushed the button, it would spring back to life. I needed it to unfurl slowly, so that it was perfect. This was going to be a gift to Iza, and would give some peace of mind.

I heard rustling behind me and turned to look. There was a creeper staring back at me, curiousity filling her dark eyes. I smiled and hissed at it. 'Hey.' It looked taken aback for a second and hissed back. 'H-hi.' I returned to my proyect, tinkering with the springs and gears.

I heard more rustling but didn't look up. I felt her move closer, and stopped what I was doing. 'Hello again.' Her skin darkened just so, and that made me smile. I had managed to make a creeper blush. I didn't even know they could do that. 'Um... hi. What are you making?' I showed her the box.

'It's an old proyect of mine'. I pressed the button and the flower slowly popped up. 'Needs a bit more tinkering with, though.' The creeper stared at it with wonder. 'How did you do that?' My smile widened. 'Not sure. I put gears and springs together and they all just connect at some point.'

The creeper sat down on the roots beside and we talked the day away. At one point, our conversation made me laugh and wrenched my heart at the same time. 'I... what's your name?' I was just about done with my proyect and looked up. 'Simon. What's yours?'

She hesitated for a minute. 'Ara.' I smiled at her. 'Very pretty. Does it mean anything?' She blushed again and looked away. 'I'm... not sure. I don't think so.' I nodded and got back to work. 'Uh... Simon? I... do... you're very handsome.' This caught me off-guard. Back in my clan, I had always been invisible, the scrawny or nerdy kid. Nobody had ever called me handsome.

I smiled sheepishly at her. 'Thanks. You're pretty too.' My comment made her blush but I could tell it wasn't the reaction she was looking for. I waited and she spoke up again. 'I... like you, Simon.' I opened my mouth and closed it again. This was a very uncomfortable place for me, and I had no idea what to do.

I mean, a creeper? Liking a human? That's insane!

I hissed at her after some time. 'I, uh... that... I'm honored, Ara. But... I don't... sorry. But... I can't...' i stumbled for words, and realized that everything I said made her sadder and sadder. 'I'm sorry.' She looked away. 'That's... that's okay. I don't know what I expected.'

She began to turn away and I stopped her. 'Wait.' She turned back to me, Hope glittering in her eyes. 'I... want you to have this.' I extended my hand out to her, the box-flower resting on my palm. 'I can make another, but I'd like you to have the original.' She stared at it for some time.

'I... thank you.' She picked it up in her mouth and looked at me. 'Friends?' I smiled. 'Of course. Maybe I'll see you around someday.' Ara beamed. 'Maybe you will.' With that, she turned around and walked away into the forest. I sat back against the tree trunk, staring at the bright orange sunset. And smiled.

I remembered a song my mother liked. I wonder how she's doing now. I began to whistle it, and then sing. ... my li-i-ife, my li-i-i-i-i-i-ife... i hear it calling, outside my window, i feel it in my soul... the stars were burning so bright, the sun was out till midnight, i say we lose control...

Even after I was done, I sat there, gazing at the sun. This is gonna be the best day of my li-i-ife, my li-i-i-i-i-i-ife...

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Thomas' POV

"Has anyone seen Simon?" I looked up from my work. Iza had been looking for Simon since noon, but nobody had seen him. It was almost nightfall as well. I spoke up, trying to calm her down. "I'm sure he's fine, you know him. He probably just wandered into the forest and got distracted with something."

Iza turned to me, her eyes scrunched up with irritation and worry. "He may be air headed, but he's not that unaware of his surroundings! He knows how dangerous it is at night! Wherever he went, he should be back by now!" At that exact moment Simon decided to stroll in, a faint smile plastered on his face.

"Simon! Where have you been???" Iza practically pounced on him, almost knocking them both over. "Woah, what? What happened? I was just hanging out in the forest, why the sudden surge of unnecessary worry?" She hugged him and pressed her head against his chest before pushing him away.

"Why were you out so late? You know how dangerous it is!" He smirked at her. "And you know I can take care of myself. You don't have to worry about me, Iza." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. After a while, she sighed and spoke again. "I know. What took you so long?" He turned sheepishly away.

"I was working on something, an old proyect of mine." Iza sighed. "Just... don't do that again, okay? Please?" Simon smiled and put his arm on her shoulder. "Yeah, I won't. Sorry I made you worry." Iza smiled and closed her eyes, shaking her head. "You can be such an ass sometimes."

Simon smiled again and walked towards me. "How's the staircase coming along?" I turned back to my task. We were making a staircase with the boards, and so far it seemed pretty sturdy. "Alright, I think. It can hold my weight, so it should probably work." He nodded and picked up a hammer.

"Then let's finish it before we hit the sack." I nodded and we got to it.

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Time leap: Next morning. Thomas' POV.

We did manage to finish the staircase, but we had a hard time sleeping afterwards. We were supposedly going to help build up the med-bay today, but Simon and I felt too tired to do so. We ended up just lounging on the grass while Eba and Jack built up the foundation. Lila and Valory helped a little, but they spent most of their time either training or making clothes for everyone.

Sarah was laying down next to me, and Simon was messing with some metal plates and other bits. Sarah and I were counting clouds. "17. Seems like it might rain soon, too." I nodded. Some of the clouds were a dark gray color. "Yeah. It hasn't rained in a long time. Not since that day in the cave, remember? When you held a knife to my throat?"

She blushed a little and turned away, a faint smile decorating her lips. "Yeah. Sorry about that, by the way." I smiled. "Don't be. It was just a misunderstanding, after all." Her usual poker face was not around much recently, and that made me feel... great. I mean, I had managed to make her smile countless times. She had made me smile too.

She turned to look at me, humor filling her gorgeous light-grey eyes. "You can find the smallest ray of sunshine in a sealed stone box, huh?" I smiled. "Yep. I like sunlight." I turned back to the sky as I spoke these words, counting off three more clouds. "Definitely gonna rain soon."

Sarah nodded. "We should probably get everyone inside, then." I turned to look at Simon. "What do you think?" He blinked a couple times and turned to look at me. "What? Oh, yes, right, sorry. Um..." He examined the clouds for a few seconds. "Yeah, should probably put everyone indoors. Might even be a little lightning later."

Right on cue, we heard the thunderous rumble of... well, thunder. We got up and ushered everyone inside. Valory whistled and Nightshade swooped down from the sky, landing on her shoulder like a parrot. I closed the doors and noticed something odd. "Uh... guys?" Everyone turned to look at me. "There's a hole in the wall."

Eba blushed deeply, and Jack slapped his forehead. "Yeah, uh, we may or may not have made the doorway before finishing the room." I smiled, and everyone laughed. Even Adrian, whom I hadn't heard much from. I picked up a few planks and placed them on the wall, covering up the hole. "It's fine, guys. Simple mistake, no biggie."

Eba sort of shrunk in her bed, but Jack started laughing along with everyone. It took a while to calm everyone down, but eventually the only sound was that of hushed conversations. Iza was talking with Simon, Eba with Sarah, Lila with Adrian, and Jack with Valory. And Nightshade.

Sarah finished talking with Eba after a while and sat down next to me on my bed. "Hey. How are you doing?" I smiled. "Fine. Why?" She shrugged. "No reason. Just wanted to know how you felt." I nodded. Silence enveloped us both, unsure of what to say. "What, um... where you talking about with Eba?"

She turned back to look at me. "We were making plans for tomorrow. I'm going to teach her how to shoot, and the next day she's going to teach me how to carve." I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, you two really need to sort that out, huh?" Sarah smiled, the lightest tinge of red on her cheeks.

"Yes. This was long overdue." Eba called her back over and we said goodbye. It was weird, since we live in the same house. I sat there on my bed, resting my head against the wall. I don't know if it was the rain lulling me, or the fact that I hadn't slept much last night, but I felt very tired. I closed my eyes and almost immediately I dreamed.

In my dream, I was standing on tough, yellowish stone. The sky was pitch black, and there were black-and-purple pillars all around me, broken and cracked. A single shape stood in the center, a large black beast lying dead behind him. The figure smiled. "Hello, brother."

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Unknown POV

"Ah, That was fun."

The Magma Cube king lay dazed on the ground at my feet. I flexed my neck and back, then smiled. "If only we could do it again sometime." I let my hammer fall, and it crushed his head, sending goopy bits everywhere. "Disgusting." I wiped the red slop from my boots and jeans. Now all I have to do is begin the long walk, and climb, to the next fortress.

I wandered the nether for a while, before entering a large cavern. The floor was full of lava, and the ground was made of brittle gravel, but what interested me was the roof. Up there, in all it's glittering glory, was the glowstone fortress, home to the Ghast Queen.

I grimaced. How anyone could live with all this light, I had no idea. Nevertheless I began the slow journey up the netherrack walls of the cavern, towards my destination.

Each step brought me closer to my goal, and soon Darkness would fall upon all the worlds.

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Author's Notes

That last bit was a little gruesome, huh? Not sure I liked it. But I'm leaving it in anyways.

Again, thank you all for your support. The more perceptive of the bunch will already know what's up, how any of this links up. If you do, don't spoil it for anyone else, 'Kay?

Also, how was that first bit? Was it weird? Did anyone like it? I don't know if I did it right.

Anywho, thank you so much for your time and support, have a great day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	24. Proximity

Author's Notes

This is the twenty-fourth chapter in the series. That means I have written two dozen chapters! Don't know about you, but I'm kinda proud of that...

Anywho, I could start writing about myself on here or I could get on with the story...

On with the story!

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Sarah's POV

The rain had only lasted for a couple hours, but by then everybody had gotten restless. Except for Thomas, but he was asleep, so... Simon ventured out first, walking with ease over the mud and gunk. Iza gingerly followed suit, careful not to slip and fall. Eba warped , and everyone else just filed out. I stayed back with Thomas, not wanting him to wake up alone in the house.

He was twitching a little in his sleep, and I didn't know if it was because of a bad dream or a good dream. Maybe it's about me. About us. The thought made my cheeks run hot. What a time to fantasize, huh? I sat there for almost another hour before he woke up. Just bolted upright, a horrified look in his eyes.

"Tom? Hey, hey, calm down. It's alright." He looked around frenetically before his gaze landed on my and my hand on his shoulder. He stared at me with wide frightened eyes and breathing heavily. Then, after a few minutes, he closed his eyes and breathed in. I waited for him to calm down before speaking.

"It's okay Tom. It was just a dream." He opened his eyes back up. "I know. I don't even remember what it was about. Just the feeling of dread when I woke up." I nodded and inched closer to him. "You alright now?" He hesitated for a moment. "I... think so. Where is everyone?"

I smiled. Of course that was his first question. "They got restless and pretty much ran out the second it stopped raining. Maybe an hour ago." He nodded and sat closer still, close enough for our skin to touch. "Right. Do you... want to go outside with them?" I thought about it for a second. "Do you?"

He shook his head. "I don't feel well enough." I smiled. "Then I'll stay. Thanks for your honesty, Tom." He nodded, a faint smile blossoming on his face. We sat there, our arms touching, for a few hours just chatting. Simon walked in distractedly and almost hurt himself on a bedpost.

Thomas smiled and I giggled. He turned, apparently just noticing us. "Oh. Hey, guys. There was something I needed to discuss with you, Thomas, but I can't exactly remember what..." We waited for him to continue, but he just stood there with his hand on his chin.

"Ah! I remember now! The rest of the gang wanted to know if we were going to have individual rooms." Thomas blinked. "What?" Simon smirked. "You really are out of it, huh? The top floor is finished. There is enough room for... rooms. So, everyone was wondering if we would each get our own room."

He thought about it for a second. "Sure. If we have enough room. There is... 8? Of us?" Simon counted off in his head. "9. But it couldn't hurt to have ten rooms. We could fit five upstairs and five down here, unless you want a third floor?" He spoke the last few words hopefully, as if implying that he wanted a third floor.

Thomas smiled. "We can get an extra floor if you want, Simon. We could use this bottom floor as a common area." Simon nodded and ran back out. Because of the empty doorway carved into the wall, we could hear everyone's excitement over individual rooms.

We laughed at this. It felt so natural now, to laugh along with Thomas. I rested my head against his shoulder, a blush spawning on my face. He tensed only a little, and immediately relaxed afterwards. He turned to face me and placed a hand on my shoulders. My blush deepened, and I saw his own tainting his cheeks.

We smiled at each other, enjoying our proximity. I could feel his strong, lean muscles under his shirt. The sound of his breathing soothed me. He turned his head away to look out the window. I took this opportunity to get closer still, almost sitting on his lap. My face was probably as red as a ripe tomato.

My boldness caught him off guard, and he turned to face me in surprise. He shifted his hand from my shoulder down to my waist and held me. My head now rested on his strong chest, and I could hear his heartbeat. I smiled. His heart was racing, beating faster than it should've been.

I turned my face up to look at him. We were so close now, and if I craned my neck just a little, our lips would brush. The thought made me feel even more flustered. Thomas noticed and smiled. I looked away in embarrassment. Why could I never keep a straight face with him? A few weeks ago I would have killed Thomas without a second thought, but now... the thought of any harm coming to him frightened me.

"Hey. Don't look away, Sarah. I want to see those beautiful eyes of yours." He placed his other hand on my chin and gently turned my head. Only for him would I let this happen. In my clan, such willingness is... not allowed. It shames not only you, but your family. But this is Thomas.

I stared deep into his loving hazel eyes, and he stared into mine. I saw that odd glint of gold at the edges of his irises, something so small that it could be easily missed. He pulled me closer, and I closed my eyes. I felt his soft lips on my own, gently pressing against me.

Out of curiosity, I opened my mouth a little, just a crack. It seemed to have surprised him, and he started to pull away. I swiftly threw my arms around his neck and brought him back. My own neediness surprised me. I never thought I would act like this. After a few precious moments we pulled apart, gasping for breath.

We were both blushing furiously. He looked just as surprised as I felt. "Did... did I do that?" I smiled at him. "I think you did, Tom." He turned away, a sheepish grin lighting up his features. The sight warmed my heart. "Sorry. I couldn't... couldn't resist." My smile widened. "Don't be sorry, Tom."

I turned away, embarrassed as well. "... I probably would have done the same." He turned back to me, eyebrows raised in surprise. We sat there, contemplating our actions. The heat from our kiss came back to me every time I turned to face him. I was glad when Eba walked in.

She looked at us with curiosity and a little concern, and I edged away from Thomas. "Hey, Eba. How are you doing?" She blushed lightly and smiled a little. "I'm good. Th-Thanks for asking. Uh... Thomas? Are we... going to start? With the rooms?" She looked so cute trying to hide her excitement.

Thomas smiled. "Sure. Uh, right away. Where's Simon? And Jack?" Simon poked his head in from the doorway. "Jack's away helping Lila hunt. Adrian and I were talking, and he offered to help chop down more trees. Valory's helping him drag them around." Thomas nodded and stood up. He turned to me and blushed just a little.

"Are you... what are you going to do?" I turned away. I still felt a little flustered. "I don't know. Cool off, maybe. In the woods." I felt him nod and then the three of them walked up the stairs. I got up and gathered my things. I reluctantly stored my bow away under my pillow, and always kept my gear under my bed.

I put on my helmet and thigh-pack and walked out of the house. Adrian and Valory were indeed cutting trees. I wandered in the opposite direction. Every now and then, my thoughts wandered back to Thomas, and the kiss we had shared. I really need to cool off...

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Jack's POV

"So, uhh... how are things?" Lila and i were in the woods hunting for animals. Our little stock of meat had begun dwindling as of late, which was weird since the only people who accessed it were Sarah and Valory. So, Lila offered herself to go hunting and i offered to go with her.

Whenever Thomas I busy with something (*ahem, Sarah, *ahem*) Simon effectively became the 'leader'. Everyone listens to those two for some reason. Lila and I had been wandering in silence for the whole trip, and I decided to break the ice.

Numerous times.

"Fine, I guess." As curt as ever. Her beautiful dark-blue hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, and she had three knifes at the ready in each hand. "Why do you have that red stripe on your hair?" "Because I like the way it looks." I sighed. I don't know why she's being so difficult. She talks to Adrian all the time.

We eventually found a small herd of cattle, five to be exact. Lila as about to throw her knives, but I stopped her. "Nuh, uh. No poison, please. If you kill them with a tipped knife, then whoever eats the meat will get sick." She opened her mouth to argue but promptly closed it after some hesitatation.

"Fine. I can trap them with some webbing if you can lead them here." I nodded and went around the cows, as quiet as possible to not scare them. Once I was on the other side, I stood up straight to look for Lila. She had managed to make a massive spiderweb on the other side of the clearing.

She gave me a thumbs up and hid behind a tree. I nodded to myself and drew my bow. I nocked two arrows into their respective notches. A friend of mine had made me the bow, and it has worked wonderfully for years. I wonder how he is now. I pulled back on the bow and held my breath.

I released it and the string at the same time. The arrows flew and hit two cows on their heads. The other three were spooked by the sudden attack and ran in the direction of Lila's trap. I stood up and chased them, preparing my bow to fire again. The first cow that reached the web barreled into it, getting caught in the string.

The other two began to turn back, but I shot them before they could escape. The one in the net kept struggling, and it made me feel bad for it. "Uh... what if we let it go? The poor thing really wants to live." Lila stared at me and considered my request. "Sure. Four cows is plenty, anyway."

She cut the bovine loose and it immediately dashed away and into the forest. We walked back one in silence, Lila carrying the leather while I carried the meat. "That was nice of you. To let the cow go." I smiled. "Thanks. That's the most you've spoken to me so far." She smiled a little, and it made me feel proud.

We arrived back home to find the third floor started. The guys can be very efficient when they want to. We dumped off the resources and walked inside. Lila immediately sat down in her bed next to Adrian, who was taking his armor off. Simon and Thomas were discussing the layout of all the rooms.

"... by three meters wide. Not exceptionally big, but large enough for our purposes." Thomas nodded. "So, everyone gets their bed plus a little night table. I don't think we have enough room for much else." Simon shook his head. "The house is too small for bigger rooms. If we expand it by, say, five meters, we could make the rooms larger."

I broke into the conversation. "I can help with that." Thomas turned to me. "Uh, sure. You and Eba will help me expand the house while Simon works on the rooms upstairs." I nodded. Simon was already off muttering to himself. "Simon? Where re you going?" He turned back to look at Thomas, eyebrows raised.

"To work on the rooms." Thomas smiled. "At night? I don't think so, dude." Simon stared it the window. It was night, had been dark for a few minutes, actually. "Huh. I didn't realize it was already dark." Thomas put a hand on his shoulder. "We Can work in the morning. Lights out, everybody!"

Sarah and Iza put out the few torches that lined the walls and everyone went to their respective beds. I followed suit, sitting and then laying down on my bed. Tomorrow was going to be a very busy day.

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Unknown POV

I wandered the hideously bright hallways of the glowstone fortress. From the outside, it resembled a wasp's nest, but inside, it looked more like a maze. But i didn't need a guide to find the throne room. I arrived at the door, two warriors dressed in white floor-length cloaks standing guard.

They were wielding large weapons that resembled crossbows without the arms and with a large barrel. I smirked at them as I got closer. "Afternoon, gentlemen. What can I do you for?" They drew their weapons. "You have no business being here, stranger. Leave immediately."

I laughed at his words. "No business, huh? Well, you should be pleased to know that i do have business. With your queen." They stiffened at my words. "Leave immediately." I summoned to black fireballs. "I think not." They shot their weapons, fire charges flying at me with incredible speed.

But I was faster. I threw my fireballs and had enough time to avoid getting blown up. The guards were desintegrated at once. I pushed the door open, revealing the queen at her throne. She was alone, which surprised me greatly. The ghast Queen was always surrounded by her royal guard. She was up to something.

"Good afternoon. Darkness, I presume?" I smiled. "News spread like wildfire, huh?" She stood up and walked a few steps towards me, her white gown trailing behind her. "Yes, especially when it's news that two of the nether realm's kings have been slain." I bowed. "They were worthy opponents, I assure you."

Her eyes were ablaze with anger. "Darkness, I hereby declare you the nether realm's most wanted criminal, and are under arrest." I smiled. "I am flattered, your highness. But I'm afraid that your laws no longer apply to me." She drew her weapons, realizing my intentions.

I dashed towards her, sword in hand. She fired, the charges screaming past me. I dodged them with ease, slicing them both in half as I did. I was upon her before she could fire again, and drove my sword into her chest, right through the heart. A choked gasp escaped her, and I felt her life slowly ebbing away.

I pulled my sword out and watched wer crumple to the ground. Smiling, I crushed the tough netherbrick throne with by fists. There is one last target I need to slay before summoning my army with the soul sand of this realm. But first...

I looked up to find the pillars supporting the fortress. I brought out my weapon and shattered it. The entire thing trembled. Then, something snapped, and the whole thing came crashing down. I swiftly jumped from the rubble and landed safely on the netherrack as the fortress hit the gravel floor.

The glowstone and gravel sunk into the lava, quickly melting and disappearing from view. I smirked. Nothing makes me happy like destroying an ancient structure. I continued wandering the realm, searching for the nether fortress. Home of the Blaze king, and key to the largest supply of soul sand imaginable.

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Author's Notes

Yay! I finished another chapter!

For some reason, whenever I finish typing a chapter, I'm left exhausted. Even though I didn't really do anything.

Anywho, thank you all for your time and support, and have a great day!

~ LeMafiaKreb

P.S, I never ask for this, but please, remember to follow and review! It makes me feel giddy and pushes me to continue writing.


	25. The Core Of The Problem

Author's Notes

Ah! More people like my story! (Visible giddyness.)

Thank you so much ThinMintE for the support! I'll try your advice, see how it goes. :P

I started this one up yesterday, in the middle of the night because of the reviews last chapter got. It truly warms my heart to learn that people actually like what I write. :D

Anywho, on with the story!

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Adrian's POV

I had cut down a large portion of the forest with my sword, and Valory helped me bring everything back home. It looked like wood was the only thing we always needed more of. This morning, we all sat down at our new table while Sarah cooked breakfast. Everyone was chatting with each other, even the endergirl Eba.

Lila sat down next to me. "Hey. Did you sleep alright?" I gave her a faint smile. It still felt weird to live with them, even if it had been almost a week since our battle. Lila's friendship had been a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. She talked to me often, more so than anyone.

"Yeah, I did." She smiled too.

"Good. What are you going to do today?"

I turned to Simon, who was busy chatting with Iza as he pieced together bits of metal. "Hey, what are you guys doing today?" Iza's eyes were full of uncomfortable distrust, but Simon's didn't portray any emotion.

"Expanding the house, finishing third floor, adding rooms. And a penthouse." I nodded. "What can I do to help?"

He put his gizmo down and thought for a second. "I think we're good for wood at the moment... metal too... you could help demolish the current walls so we can expand the house."

I nodded. This is the sort of thing I'm good at. Simon picked his little box back up and continued talking to Iza. I turned back to Lila, who was curtly finishing a conversation with Jack. He looked mildly hurt, but composed himself quickly. Lila turned to face me. "What was that all about?" She shrugged.

"Jack wanted to know if I'd like to hang out, but I told I would be busy and couldn't." I nodded. "Are you busy?" She looked a bit embarrassed and irritated.

"No. I just didn't feel like hanging out with him." I 'hmm'd, and she stared at me indignantly.

"What do you mean, 'hmm'? I didn't do anything wrong."

I smiled at her. "Well, no, but you shouldn't lie to Jack. To anyone." A light blush blossomed on her cheeks and she looked down.

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry." Sarah was going around serving the plates of mutton and beef.

"Don't apologize to me. It's fine, just don't be so... rude next time." She looked up.

"Rude? How was that rude?" I started cutting my share with the forks and knives Simon had forged for everyone.

"I saw the look on his face. He seemed hurt." I could see her staring at me out the corners of my eyes. Eventually, she sighed and started eating her breakfast.

"Right. Guys? Does everybody know what they're going to be doing?" We all stopped eating to look up at Thomas. Eba still had half a mutton chop in her mouth. We stayed quiet, expecting him to tell us. After a while, he got the hint.

"Uh-huh. I was asking, but... so, Simon, Eba, Jack and I will work on the third floor..."

Everyone nodded and Thomas continued.

"... Adrian will help with demolition work..." I nodded. "... Valory, Lila, Sarah, and Iza will tend to the garden. Everyone agree?" We all nodded again, and Thomas clapped his hands.

"Good! So, um... finish your breakfast, and, uh... get to work!"

He seemed a bit uncomfortable being the one giving orders, but he did alright. We finished eating and got up, filing out the door. Once outside, I drew my sword and started hacking at the wall we were going to expand. It only took a few swings and the whole thing came down.

My sword vibrated just a little, reminding me of a different task I had to finish, one given to me years ago. This made me grimace. I'd have to leave them soon, but I didn't want to. I put away the obsidian blade and walked over to Thomas.

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Simon's POV

"Oh, for fuck's ugly sake!"

I felt everyone's eyes on my back. This was the third time I had hit myself with the hammer, and my hand ached something fierce. For some reason, I was getting distracted a lot more often, much more than usual. And that's saying something.

I could hear a low and dull pinging in my head.

"Simon? Are you okay?" From here we could see pretty much everything, and it was not hard to find Iza's worried gaze from the garden.

"I, uh... yeah! I'm fine!" She nodded after some hesitation and continued harvesting. I sighed.

"Jack? Can you cover for me? Just need to cool off for a bit." The stray looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Uh... sure." I nodded and walked down to the bottom floor. Thomas and Adrian were discussing something important, it seems.

"... leave right now, though, right?" Adrian shook his head.

"I'm not sure. A voice in my head spoke to me, giving me this task. It didn't tell me how or when to finish it."

"What task?" They both turned to me.

"A few years ago, a voice spoke to me in my head. It brought me to some faraway plains where I found my sword buried up to the hilt in the dirt." He drew the weapon, a large sword fitting for heavy brawlers.

"Once I dug it up, the voice returned, telling me to find the Golden Spirit and give it to him."

I frowned. Golden spirit? History has never been my forté, but stories and myths always catch my eye. However, that name did not ring a bell.

"Is that all?" Adrian nodded. Thomas shrugged.

"Well, if that's all it said, maybe it's not that important. But... I can't keep you here. So, if you want to go, you are free to do so."

Adrian stared at him for a minute. "Thank you. For now, I think I'll stay." Thomas nodded and I remembered what I was going to do.

"Well, I'll be going now. Bye guys." I left them stupefact in the room, swiftly dodging around them and dashing out the door. The girls were almost in finished harvesting everything.

Iza saw me and beamed. "Hey Simon! What are you doing down here?" I smiled as I walked towards the woods.

"I got a little... pissed at one of the hammers upstairs. It is for the best I go cool off. I am still a creeper after all." Iza dropped everything and ran up to me, a sheepish smile lighting her features.

"And, Uh... can I come with you?" I smirked.

"Only if you can keep up!" Dashed forwards, I quickly left her behind. She sprinted towards me, almost catching up. I made sure to pace myself, so as to not utterly demolish her.

"You... really are... very fast, Simon..." I smiled at her. She was already having trouble breathing, and I hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Wanna take a break?" She nodded, obviously out of breath. We had made it to the edge of the forest and stopped at a large knarled old tree. Iza sat down on one of the roots trying to recover.

"How Can you be so fast?... I thought creepers were slow..." I smiled again.

"Yeah, but not me. I've always been a weird one." She eyed me with a touch of concern but said nothing. After a while, she finally decided to speak.

"What if we go deeper into the forest? Y'know, explore a little?" I shrugged and smiled.

"If you feel up to it, then sure."

Iza nodded and got up, walking farther into the woods. "Are you coming, slowpoke?" I smiled and dashed forward, tripping and catching her in my arms.

"It would be my pleasure." She had a furious blush and surprised eyes. I stood her back up and gave her a spin before continuing on, leaving her flabbergasted.

We wandered the forest for a few hours, eventually coming to rest at a small clearing. She was kneeling down in the grass, admiring some flowers while I leaned against a tree. I was messing with my second flower-box, trying to make a trio of metal tulips bloom. Then I heard a rustle behind me. And a familiar hiss.

'Simon?'

I turned around, looking for the source of the hiss. There was a creeper poking her head from around a tree, hope shining in her dark green eyes. Ara. Recognition lit her face, and she walked slowly towards me. 'Hi! I didn't think I'd see you again so soon!'

I smiled and hissed back.

'Hey! How have you been?'

Iza turned around, curious. The moment she saw Ara, she hopped up and drew a crude metal knife. "Simon! Look out!" Iza dashed forward, but I stopped her with my hand before she could reach Ara.

"No, Iza, Wait! She's a friend! Don't hurt her!" She looked utterly stunned, and a bit hurt, which was weird.

"She?"

I turned to look at Ara. She had taken a few steps back, and her face was twisted in a mortified grimace. I hissed at her, trying to calm her down. 'Shh, it's okay. She's a friend.' I turned back to Iza.

"Yes, She. Her name is Ara, i met her a few days ago." Iza looked taken aback.

"You... met her? Was it that day when you came back when it was nearly nightfall?" I nodded.

"Yes. I can speak to creepers, remember? I'm a whisperer, you know that."

She looked concerned, distrust gleaming in her eyes. "Right. Does... she... understand English?"

I turned back to Ara. 'Did you understand what she said?'

She shook her head a little, still visibly scared. 'N-no... I can't understand human-speech. Who... who is she?'

I turned back to Iza. "Could you... step back a little? Into the clearing?" She stared at me for some time before sighing and walking back a few feet. I beckoned Ara with a wave of my hands and a hiss.

'Come on. She won't hurt you, I swear.'

The creeper walked up to me slowly, still afraid. 'Who is she Simon?"

Now the three of us were in the clearing and could see each other better. I cleared my throat.

"Alright, introductions." I hissed a translation at Ara.

"Izabell, Ara." I hissed. 'Ara, Izabell.'

They stared at each other, obvious distrust flashing in their eyes.

"So, uh... you made a creeper friend." I nodded. Turning to Ara, I could tell she was no longer scared. But now she looked bashful for some reason.

'I... Simon? Is she the reason why... you didnt... Uh... you know... want to be... with me?' I grimaced. A few hours after I met Ara, she awkwardly voiced her like of me, but I had turned her down. Now here I was in the woods with another girl. How stupid of me. Another slip-up.

'Yes, Ara. I'm sorry.' She nodded and stared at the ground, heartbroken. "Simon? What's wrong with... with Ara?"

I turned to Iza. "She... likes me. A lot." She nodded and narrowed her eyes a little, blush tainting her cheeks.

"Do you... like her? In the same way?"

I almost laughed. This was the core of the problem. She was jealous, but that didn't exactly make sense. I mean, I am still human after all.

"No. I may be a creeper, but that doesn't mean I'd rather have a creeper partner." I took a step towards her and cupped her cheek with my hand, so that she couldn't look away.

"I don't want anyone as my partner but you. Do you understand, Iza? No one but you."

She was frowning, as if having trouble believing what I said. I smiled at her. After a few moments, she gave up and smiled. "I hate you Simon." My smile widened.

"I love you too, Iza."

I leaned in, and she closed her eyes. I closed mine too, and soon our lips brushed together. But that's all. I had a mischievous grin on my face as I pulled back. Iza looked confused and a little disappointed.

"Hey! Why do you... don't... I... ugh! You are so frustrating, Simon!" My smile became sincere. "I know, darlin'. You're just gonna have to put up with it."

Now I dove in, holding her close to me. Her eyes widened in surprise before fluttering close. It felt so right to be with Iza. Like nothing could ever go wrong. We held each other for what felt like eons but was logically mere seconds before needing to breathe. We were gasping like fishes, still holding each other tight.

'Um... I... can see why you like her, Simon...'

I felt a sudden urge to hit myself in the head. Here I was, forging a loving bond with a beautiful girl while Ara watched, possibly shattering her already wounded heart into a million pieces.

'I... sorry, Ara. You... shouldn't have had to watch that.' She eyed me with discomfort, but thankfully no resentment. I was still holding on to Iza.

'It's... it's okay. I... understand now. But... we can still be friends, right?' I smiled at the creeper.

'Of course, Ara. Why wouldn't we?' Her frown turned into what I guess is the best a creeper Can do for a smile. I suddenly got an idea.

'Ara... I could teach you English.' She looked confused.

'English?'

'Human-speech.'

'Oh!' She looked a bit exited now. 'I'd love to learn human-speech.' I smiled at her.

"Uh, Simon? It's past noon. We should probably head back." I turned back to Iza, whom I still held in my arms. I looked up. She was right, probably three hours past noon.

"Right. Sorry." I released Iza, and immediately wanted to hold her again. The whole world felt cold without her warmth. I ignored the feeling, bottling it up with the rest for now.

'Ara? We have to go. Will you be alright?' She smirked at me. Smirked. Smirked.

'Of course. I've lived in these woods all my life.'

I nodded, and got another bright idea. Looking around, I found a pink tulip near the edge of the forest. Picking it up, I walked over to Ara.

'Here. We can put this on your head and will be able to recognize you.'

I didn't know it this was going to work seeing as there was nowhere to put the tulip. I removed the stem and sort of placed it on Ara's head, above her right eye. It stuck, somehow.

'That's brilliant! And it looks so pretty..."

I smiled. 'Bye, Ara.'

She smiled back at me. 'Bye Simon! And... Izabell...'

I elbowed Iza lightly. "Wave at her." She looked a tad undignified, but waved anyways. Ara beamed. I waved too and we walked away, towards the house. I was walking to Iza's right, and swung my left arm onto her shoulder. Iza tensed for a second, surprised, but then relaxed.

Eventually, she stuck to me so her right arm was touching my side, and rested her head against my shoulder. We walked like that, close together, all the way home. I released all of my feelings, finally feeling safe, and sighed.

My friend, my love, and my muse.

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Unknown POV

It took a while, but eventually I found the nether fortress, in all it's netherbrick glory. There were a few guards in place already, and Something clicked. The Ghast Queen didn't have her royal guard with her, so where were they? Out. Giving the Blaze king news, time to prepare for an attack. I'd have to get creative with this.

I looked at my vessel's hands. It was the only thing that bound me to this earth, otherwise I could just fly into the fortress and consume the kning's soul. That gave me an idea. I stared down at the river of lava that covered the fortress's foundations. And jumped in.

I felt the skin melting off, but not the pain it surely was causing my vessel. No matter. It would regenerate in mere minutes. Once I no longer felt the tug that bound me to it, I flew up in my true form, searching for the throne room. To the guards, I would seem as just a dark cloud of smoke or steam.

I found the open-air throne room just as my vessel regenerated fully. I could no longer fly, and plummeted down. I landen kneeling on one knee, my left fist crushing the netherbrick. I looked at the king and smiled.

"Good afternoon, your highness."

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Author's Notes

Whew! Finished!

This is currently my longest chapter, guys! I think...

Also, I'm sorry it took so long to push out. I may or may not have gotten carried away playing ark...

Anywho, thank you for your time and support, Have an Awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	26. Water Balloon Fight

Author's Notes

Thank you everyone for all the support! (Yes, even those that don't leave a review) :D

ThinMintE, I think we should be able to call whatever we want cute. (i.e, cats, dogs, bugs, creepers, etc.) :)

Anywho, on with the story!

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Lila's POV

It was weird to see Simon and Iza 'in love'. I mean, they were plenty close before, but this is ridiculous. Iza never seems to part from his side, unless Thomas gives her a task or somebody is injured (Valory, playing with Nightshade) and even then she tries to stick with him.

Simon is a little less... open about his affection towards Iza. The occasional snuggle when he thinks noone is looking, a few quick kisses and such. Other than that, he hasn't changed much. He also introduced us to a creeper, Ara. It was one hell of a day.

He and Iza came back from the forest walking side by side with the creeper. We all know of his ability, and were only a little cautious towards Ara. At one point, Jack drew his bow to clean it or something, and Ara almost lost it. She started flashing and hissing in panic.

After a few tense moments, Simon finally managed to calm the creeper down. She was... breathing heavily, I think. The sounds she makes are weird. Once Jack had apologized to Ara (Simon translated everything), things went a lot smoother. Simon told us about his plan to teach Ara english, and everyone agreed that it was a good idea.

But now things were going fine. The third floor is finally finished, as well as all the rooms, plus the med-bay. Iza kept insisting on sharing a room with Simon, saying it was 'wasteful for her to have her own room when she could share with someone else.' In the end, Thomas (and Simon) argued that it was silly to have them share a room when we had so much space.

Needless to say, Iza wasn't very happy with Simon.

But after a few hours she was back to hugging and kissing him to death. I don't know how Simon puts up with her. We were taking a break from all the work right now, everyone just lounging on the grass.

Thomas and sarah were chatting intently, Simon was fiddling with something and listening as Iza told him a story, Adrian was talking to Jack and Valory was playing with Nightshade. I was bored. Insanely so.

Eba was nibbling on some mutton jerky, drawing something on a crude notebook Thomas made for her. I got an idea and walked up to her.

"Hey Eba." She looked up, mildly startled.

"I, uh, h-hi. Hi Lila."

I smiled at her. "Hey, want to help me with something?" Her eyes lit up and she carefully closed her notebook.

"Sure! Help with what?"

I whispered my idea in her ear and she smiled widely. She teleported us both to the lake and I got to work. My plan was to make waterproof bags that I would fill with water, and then Eba would warp us back and we could throw them at everyone. The perfect game.

A water ballon fight.

We got to work, and within the hour we had at least 200 water balloons ready to burst. Our hands were sore, and they looked like prunes from all the water. We took a short break, and then Eba warped us home.

Nobody had noticed we were gone. That hurt a little, but now was not the time for this sort of feeling. I picked up a ballon, aimed, and threw it as hard as I could. It sailed through the air and landed a few inches short of my target.

Adrian recoiled from the splash, immediately standing and drawing his big sword. It was very amusing to see him struggle to stand in the wet grass. When he saw Eba and I, as well as the goofy grins on our faces, he put away the obsidian blade and smiled.

"Is it a war, you want? Then a war you shall have!"

We started chucking balloons, and Adrian plucked them out of the sky with ease, handing them to everyone else. Panicking, we started throwing balloons faster and in different directions.

Eventually, the sheer amount of proyectiles was too much for Adrian and one of them burst against his head. Thomas, Sarah, Jack, Valory and Iza were fighting back. Eba warped away and returned with a barricade made of planks, which we hid behind.

I realized after a while that Simon was nowhere to be seen. This was worrying, as everyone knew how good of a tactician he was.

"Eba! Where's Simon?" She turned to me, alarm rising in her big magenta eyes.

"I... oh no... I haven't seen him. This is bad, isn't it?"

We heard a chuckle behind us and turned to see Simon with a big cannon loaded with balloons.

"Yep. Very bad." He fired it and we were instantly soaked from head to toe. We shrieked and threw balloons in random directions. Thomas stopped us for a second so we could organize a good war.

We paired off in two teams, team A being me, Eba, Sarah, Valory and Iza. Team B was all the boys, Thomas, Jack, Simon, and Adrian. We had the advantage of numbers, but they had Simon.

For almost the entire battle we didn't see that mischievous creeper at all. Then, suddenly and to everyone's surprise, he appeared behind us with a tank. A tank. That crazy bastard spent two hours making a freaking tank!

He peppered us with balloons as he approached in his armored vehicle, and we had no choice but to surrender. We switched it up next round.

There were 4 teams, each with their own 'base' and flag. There was three pairs and one trio; Eba and I, Adrian and Jack, Valory, Sarah and Iza, then Thomas and Simon. We played a few rounds, and Thomas' team always won.

Simon just kept coming out of nowhere performing hit-and-runs. We were all tired out as well as soaking wet by the end of the day. Everyone but Simon. Apparently, no one had managed to hit him. We stopped once we ran out of balloons.

Simon was boasting about having dodged everything while Iza crept up on him. She had a single water balloon in her hand, and she threw it at him, getting Simon thoroughly soaked. She giggled like crazy, and everyone laughed along with her.

We all took turns changing clothes (Val and I spent our mornings making new ones for everyone) and chatted afterwards. Sarah helped me and Val with dinner, and we all had two mutton chops and bread (baked with our farm-grown wheat). Well, Eba had five of them, but still.

Valory jokingly asked the endergirl how she could keep such a figure while eating like that. Eba looked so cute as she blushed furiously and mumbled an answer.

"W-warping is tiring... the more stuff I warp the more tired I get... and hungry..." We tried to stifle our laughter, but it did nothing to help Eba's shame. If anything, we made it worse. Overall, it was a very fun day.

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Thomas's POV

The day after the balloon fight, I caught a cold. I mean, it was to be expected. We were all soaked through and through. I just didn't expect it to be me who got sick. I still helped around, much to Sarah's displeasure.

"Sit down, Tom! You can't be working so hard when you're feeling like this."

"*cough* I'm fine Sarah. I can do this."

"No, you can't. Let me help you."

I was currently bringing logs from the edge of the woods back home. Or at least trying to. Sarah wouldn't back off, and I eventually let her help me. By the time we brought every log home I was exhausted. Sarah insisted on taking me to the med-bay for rest.

Once there, everyone dropped what they were doing and came to visit. It was very awkward since they were already aware of my condition, but still, it was very nice of them all.

"Are you okay?"

"You'll get better, right?"

"Chin up, man."

"He'll be fine, guys."

"By tomorrow you'll feel good as new."

After a few minutes, Sarah 'kindly' asked them to leave. She drew her knife and told them to get out. Then we were left alone in the med-bay. Sarah kept trying to hug and comfort me, but I held her back so she wouldn't get sick.

It took a lot of effort, but I finally managed to get her to leave. I didn't want her to worry over me, and sitting there while I was sick wouldn't exactly help. I was so tired that I fell asleep mere minutes later. And I dreamed.

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Dazed POV

I was in a dark hallway, staring at a room filled with people. The walls, floor and roof where the same dull maroon color, and the outside was filled with flames. I looked at my hands. They were dainty, pale things with long nails.

This isn't me. Where am I?

I looked up, back at the room. There was an extra person there now, kneeling in the center of the throne room.

Throne room? How do I know that?

He's going to kill my daddy.

I nearly jumped out of my skin. Probably would have if I wasn't connected to it. The feminine voice sounded scared. No, absolutely terrified.

Whoa! Who's there?

I need to help him. I can't let him kill my father!

My body moved on it's own, walking and then running towards the throne room.

Wait, wait, stop!

I stopped myself mid-step, and I (we?) tumbled to the floor. A battle had started in the large open-air room, bodies already littering the ground.

We need to go!

No! Please! I need to save him!

I felt somebody grabbing my shoulders and lifting me to my feet. I turned around to see a familiar and comforting face that I had never seen before.

"Don't look that way darling. Daddy's going to be alright. Come with me."

"No, mama! Please! We need to help him!"

The voice that escaped my lips was not mine. It was the same voice that I heard in my head. A slew of emotions swam through me, most of which that I couldn't explain.

"Listen to me, dear. You are smart enough to know that his royal guard won't keep Darkness back. Your daddy loves you very much, and would hate for you to be hurt. As would I. You're going to have run, do you hear me? Run, hide, go anywhere, anywhere but here. Can you do that for me, nether-plum?"

I felt tears running down my cheeks, tears that were not mine. I could see the person before me was also crying, and I felt an unnatural sense of loss.

"Yes, mama." My voice cracked, unable to keep steady throug the tears. Then, my 'mother' pushed back her dark brown hair and revealed a necklace. She took it off and handed it to me.

"Here. It's a magma-pearl. It should help your firepower, should you ever need it. Promise me you'll stay safe. Promise me you'll find a way to the overworld."

I nodded, my vision swimming now.

"I promise, mama. I will. And I'll come back for you, when it's safe."

I heard stifled sobs, and my mother held me close.

"I love you, nether-plum."

"I love you too."

"Stay safe. Run, now, go. Leave the fortress, run as far away as possible. Go!"

I heard a roar, and turned around in time to see (my Father) the King breathe fire at someone (Darkness). My mother turned my head back around and pushed me deeper into the hallway.

"Run!"

Still sobbing, I turned tail and ran. I realized that it was me who was running, the other voice still unable to even speak.

I need to save us both.

I kept getting lost in the maze off hallways and stairs. Luckily, every single one was empty.

Hey! I need your help now! Where's the way out?

The other voice still couldn't stop sobbing, and I tried to soothe her.

It's alright, shh... calm down. If we can get out of this place, we'll be safe.

... but my parents...

They'll be fine. Come on, show me the way out.

... th-that way... and to the right...

I nodded to myself and ran down the hallway she pointed to. Soon, I took a Right turn and exited onto a large bridge that went from the fortress to the rest of the nether.

Now where?

...I don't know. My mother told me to run as far as I could. To reach the overworld.

I knew that, but didn't say a thing. I kept running, trying to find someplace to hide. We wandered through the flaming chasms and tunnels, searching for somewhere to rest. There mere mobs everywhere, but they didn't seem to care about us much.

...I'm so tired...

I know. We just need to keep going a little farther.

Who are you? Why are you in my head?

I searched for a name, but I couldn't find it. Who am I? Why am I here?

I don't know. I'm a friend.

O-okay.

We wandered aimlessly for a few hours until we found a small crater carved into the wall. We crawled in, completely exhausted.

... I'm hungry.

I know. Me too.

I wish we had found quartz in here.

I didn't know how to respond to that. We sat there for a few hours, and the girl began to cry. I realized that I hadn't even asked for her name. I searched my memories, and found none that I recognized. Faces, games, places here in the nether, nothing felt familiar. And it did at the same time.

Then, I stumbled upon the answer to my search.

Kaitlin.

sniffles*... yes?

Is that your name?

... it is. How do you know me?

I don't. I combed through your memories.

sniffle*... why did you do that?

To find out who you are.

She didn't speak another word, and a fresh wave of grief washed through us. We fell asleep after a few hours, and I felt my own memories rushing back, as well as a single thought.

I'm running out of time.

Kaitlin raised her head, confused.

What?

I'm running out of time. My name is Thomas, and I'm from the overworld. I can help you get there, but I'll need your help. We need to hurry. Is there a nether portal nearby?

I... yes. One was sighted by my father's men.

Good. I need you to go there, fast. I'll build and light one on my end, and it should teleport you to the overworld.

... thank you.

Don't thank me yet. I need to leave you now. Go to the nether portal, hurry!

I felt a tug on my arm, and turned around. There was a massive light behind me, growing ever closer and brighter, until I was completely blinded.

And I woke up.

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Author's Notes

So! I started this one as soon as I finished the last because I was overly exited. And here it is! Now I'm very tired. Writing does that to me...

Also, Darkness's POV didn't appear at the end of this one! What could this mean? Probably that the chapter was going to be way too long if I added it. Or maybe something else.

Also, also, how did I do with this one? So far, there hasn't been much real progress in the story, except for bond creation and Darkness's murders. So now things are going to be a little more oriented towards the actual plot. Not really, though. Too much stuff I want to cram in here...

Anywho, thank you for your time and support, have a great day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	27. Mining For Obsidian

Author's Notes

Ehh... not sure what to put here.

Thank you Zombiesguy115 for your review! The reason why I don't include much content in the chapters is because they are (usually) 2.5k words long. And I try to upload daily.

On with the story!

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Darkness's POV

"Good afternoon, your highness."

The king did not react in any way to my sudden appearance. Instead, he nodded and stood.

"Darkness. Why have you been slaughtering the Kings and Queen of the nether realm?"

My smile widened, glee coursing through my veins.

"I need your resources, my liege. The one most important resourse in the nether."

He crossed his arms, the red armore he wore clinking softly.

"And What would that be, Darkness?" I made a mental note of the weapons hanging at his sides. They looked like large knives, or small short swords.

"Soul sand, my dear friend. What I need is your soul sand."

"Why do you wish to obtain it?"

"To summon an army and wipe the overworld clans off the map."

He spread his hands, and fireballs appeared in his open palms.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that, darkness."

I smiled and drew my own sword.

"Try and stop me."

He made motions with his hands, and the fireballs spewed beams of flame from their centers. The royal guard of both the King and the late Ghast Queen attacked as well.

I felt the beams of flame slice my vessel in half, but my ghost shape helped keep it standing. To them, it would look as if my halves were still connected by an invisible force.

I dashed from left to right, feeling my vessel be cut, shot at, and burned. The royal guards kept dropping like flies. The king ceased his beams and began summoning fireballs that exploded upon impact, lighting my vessel on fire.

I cut the last guard down and turned to the king. He stared at me with hatred. Then, he breathed in and a necklace he wore began to glow orange. Suddenly, a flaming tornado erupted from his mouth, sealing me from the outside world and keeping me trapped within it's inferno.

The heat was so extreme that it melted the skin and bones from my vessel's body. An idea made me smile. Once I no longer felt the tug that kept me bound to this earth, my shadow figure sailed forwards. I saw the surprise in the kings eyes, and smiled.

"Peekaboo"

Once the words were out of my ghostly mouth, I breathed in and absorbed the king's soul. His eyes turned from red to glazed and dead grey. The flames stopped, and the king tumbled to the ground, his body turning to ashes before my eyes. I felt his energy and determination run though me. I relished the feeling.

After a few minutes, I felt my vessel reattach itself fully, and turned around. There was a lone servant in the hall, staring at me through terrified eyes. I smiled and motioned for him to come closer.

"I am your new king. Do you understand that?"

He shakily nodded.

"Good. What's your name, servant?"

"T-theridas, m-my lord." I nodded.

"Very well, Theridas. Bring me Queen Anastasia."

The servant gulped and nodded, the ran down the hall. I stopped him before he could turn the corner.

"Take some guards with you."

On each side of the throne were small pools of soul sand. With my black flames, I forged two zombie Pigmen guards geared with iron spears and red armor.

The guards walked over to Tharidas, and he nodded again. I waved my hand, and off he went, followed by my two new monsters. Now all I had to do was wait.

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Thomas' POV

I woke up with a strange tingly feeling. It ran from the top of my head all the way down to the soles of my feet. As if my entire body had gone numb at some point. I sat up, a little dazed and disoriented. I looked out the nearest window and saw Eba with Sarah sitting around a stripped chunk of log. I smiled. They finally got around to carving.

Sitting up, I realized that I was no longer feeling sick. How much time had gone by? Wandering the house, I noticed something odd. The beds were gone. Simon must've moved them into the rooms at last. I walked out the door to find everyone lounging around in the grass.

I trudged over to Eba and Sarah. They were almost done with a carving, it seems, having made a cone on top of a sphere on top of a box. They were smoothing it down with Eba's chisel. I cleared my throat.

"Hey guys."

Sarah looked up at me in shock while Eba jumped out of her skin.

"Thomas! Your awake! What are you doing out here?"

She stood up and hugged me tight as she spoke, her tough side momentarily subdued. I laughed and hugged her back.

"I feel much better. How long was I out for?"

"A few hours. Maybe half a day."

I sighed. At least it wasn't as long as I thought it might be. There was a nagging in the back of my head, something that I couldn't make sense of. By now everybody had noticed my sudden appearance, and they all walked over. I was instantly drowned in a sea of hugs and 'thank the lords you're fine'.

After the sudden love fest, I asked what was new.

"Well", Simon said. "Not much. Eba and I moved the beds into each room. We finished the large window for the penthouse too."

I nodded. The nagging was back, more insisting this time. Then something clicked, and memories flooded my head.

"We need to help her."

Everyone stared at me like I had grown a second head. Simon spoke up.

"Help who?"

"Kaitlin."

Sarah's eyes narrowed a little, suspicion rising in their gorgeous silver depths.

"Who's Kaitlin?"

"The Blaze princess. We need to get her out of the nether."

Sarah blinked and Lila snickered. Simon gave me a sympathetic smile while Iza looked me over.

"Hm... You seem to be hallucinating Thomas, but you don't have any of the symptoms from before. Have you eaten anything suspicious recently?" I shook my head.

"No, I literally just woke up." She nodded and took a step back.

"Well... are you sure you're alright? Sure it wasn't a dream?" Sarah narrowed her eyes again and spoke.

"Yeah, Thomas. Are you sure you didn't dream of the Blaze princess?" There was poison and steel in her words, as well as a dreadful mocking quality.

"We don't have time for this, guys! We need to build up a nether portal, quick." Simon looked at the skies, hands fiddling with some dynamite.

"We should hear him out. Even if it was a dream, I'd love to get my hands on some glowstone for an experiment." Everybody turned to face him, and he shrugged.

"Who's gonna go mining for obsidian?"

Sarah shook her head. "There's no point. We don't have any diamonds for digging it up." Simon smiled at that.

"Who needs diamonds when you have an endergirl?"

Everyone looked over at Eba, who blushed furiously and looked away. I turned back to Simon.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, seeing as endermen are strong enough to move large stone bricks around, I thought that maybe Eba would be able to gather some obsidian for us. With help, obviously."

Eba had her hoodie on, and looked at us with her large magenta eyes from the edge of the black hood.

"I-I'd... I'd be glad to help. I mean, I'll try..." I nodded.

"Thanks, Eba."

"Y-your welcome..."

Sarah stood a few steps away now, looking at the forest. I walked over to her and put my hand on her shoulder. She flinched and took a step back.

"What do you want, Thomas?"

"I want you to come with me. Will you?"

She stared at me for a moment. It felt like ages since I had last seen her poker face, and it hurt to see it in place. After her brief hesitation, she sighed.

"Fine. I'll go."

I smiled at her, and took a step forwards. She took one back, crossing her arms and shaking her head. My smile vanished and I turned to walk into the storage shed. If she wanted to be like that, then fine.

I came back out with two iron pickaxes and a sack full of food. Eba was carrying all the torches. Sarah had her helmet on and took one of the pickaxes from me. Our fingers brushed for a second, but she didn't react. Simon walked over with a metal helmet in his hands.

"Here. I made one with the little torch welded to it. Now that it has a mirror, it's light will be more focused and bright. Should last longer too."

I nodded and took it from him.

"Thanks Simon."

"Your welcome."

He turned around and walked back into the house, muttering to himself. Then he abruptly turned back around.

"I almost forgot! Here." He handed me a large, dark globe. I looked at him.

"An ender pearl? When did you get this?" He smiled and put his hands in his hoodie pockets.

"I've had it for quite a while. Thought it might help." With that, he spun and walked towards the house. I smiled and shook my head, turning back to Sarah and Eba.

"Right. Come on, guys."

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Sarah's POV

We wandered into the woods towards the cave entrance. It was a couple hours past noon. Once inside, we lit the torches as well as my helmet-lamp and we continued the journey. After a few hours and some digging, we found an abandoned mine.

One of the tunnels led us to a massive underground ravine. The bridge from one side to the other looked unsteady, and there was a large pool of lava beneath us.

"Be careful, guys." Eba nodded and I sighed in exasperation.

"We know, Thomas. We didn't need such an obvious suggestion."

He shrugged and we continued walking. Once on the other side, I started hearing the constant trickle of running water. We stopped and listened.

"Do you hear that? There's water nearby." I nodded. Eba kept wringing her hands in worry.

We walked on, the sound of running water getting increasingly louder. We had burned through three of our torches, and were left with only two plus Thomas's helmet-lamp. We arrived at a cave with a pool of running water.

It had a small waterfall feeding it on one side of the cave and through a crack in the wall at the other. We were about to turn back when I noticed something.

"Wait, guys. Look." The light from the lamp cast a bright circle in the water, revealing that what we thought was a deep lake was nothing but a shallow pool with obsidian at the bottom.

"There must've been magma there at some point."

"Yeah. Let's dig it up and get out of here."

Thomas nodded. He took off my boots and gingerly stepped in. The obsidian looked smooth and rocky, but it didn't seem to hurt much. It probably would if we fell, though.

Eba took off her boots and hoodie, then rolled up her jeans. She waded in the water, carefully taking each step. Bending down a little, Tom started swinging his pickaxe at a relatively flat stretch of the material.

"Huh. Not a scratch. Why don't you try, Eba?"

She nodded and took a few tentative steps forward. She bent down and inspected the surface with her hand. Then, she took out her chisel and started tapping the obsidian. After a while, she scratched it until there was a square in the center of the pool.

"How did you do that? My pickaxe did nothing to the obsidian!"

She looked at the tip of her chisel. It looked like any other chisel, iron smelted into a cylinder shape with a flat edge on one side.

"I don't know. Maybe the tip is diamond?"

"Maybe. How did you know what to do?"

She blushed a little.

"M-my school taught us how to take even bricks out of stone surfaces. We need to pick at it with the chisel, setting a dotted outline for the specific size of the brick. T-then we need to connect the dots so it becomes a solid square."

Thomas nodded and looked back at the obsidian pool. I was standing on the stone ground nearby, watching the two of them while holding out a torch.

"Now what?"

Eba went back to her work, carving the obsidian more and more. After a while, she stood back up.

"O-okay. Now try. With the pick."

Thomas nodded again and swung the pick into the center of the square. I heard a crack as the block of obsidian separated itself from the rest. It shocked me how easy it came off.

"Wow. How do we get it out?"

She carefully picked up the cube of obsidian with her long fingers, and lifted it out slowly.

"That was impressive, Eba. How did you make it come out as a perfect cube?"

My words made the endergirl blush again as she placed the block onto the stone floor.

"W-well, I carved as far as I wanted it to go. I can't reach through to the floor, but it only needed to be about a third of the way down. The obsidian isn't very deep, and it loosened from the stone at the bottom from Thomas's pickaxing."

It took a couple of hours, but we had managed to get ten even bricks of the material. We started walking back out the cave.

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Thomas's POV

The whole time, Sarah and I spoke very little. I decided to break the silence, and walked up to her.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine."

I sighed and kept prodding at her.

"Why are you acting so distant?"

"Why do you care?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

She stopped and turned around.

"Leave me alone, Thomas."

"What did I do?"

"Nothing."

"Then why are you mad at me?"

"I don't know." There was a warning in her voice, clearly telling me to back off. I did no such thing. Taking a step towards her, I spoke softly.

"Why?"

She stared into my eyes. I took her hand and she didn't pull away.

"I don't know, Tom. It just... made me feel angry that the first thing you worried about was some... some imaginary princess girl. It made me feel terrible." I smiled lightly at her.

"You've never been the jealous kind. Even when Valory lost it way back when, you didn't act like this. Why now?" She shook her head.

"I don't know, I told you. It was just... sudden. I had never felt that way." I let go of Sarah's hand and hugged her.

"You shouldn't. Know that there will never be someone I love the way I love you. Never in a million years, or a million lifetimes." She pulled away a little and looked into my eyes, searching for proof of the fact. I used one of my hands to hold her head in place, cupping her cheeks, and inched closer.

"Um... m-maybe do this somewhere else, guys?"

Sarah and I jumped apart in surprise, turning to look at a very flustered Eba. I smiled sheepishly, and Sarah giggled, finally back to her usual self.

"Right. Let's go."

We continued out the cave until we reached the old bridge from one side of the ravine to the other. I was holding Sarah's hand with one of mine while the other carried out last unlit torch and both pickaxes. Eba was lugging the obsidian bricks in a sack. We stepped onto the bridge, and it groaned.

"Uh... that's probably not good."

Before anyone could reply, the ground that the bridge was built on cracked, and began to crumble.

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Eba's POV

"What's going on?" I was panicking now.

We heard a terrifying laugh resonating from the walls of the ravine. Then I spotted something moving at the top. Many somethings. There were creepers lining the walls near the ravine's ceiling, exploding one by one. Thomas pushed me towards the exit.

"We need to go, now!"

Thomas and I had made it to the other side when we heard a shriek. Turning around, i noticed Sarah had tripped and fell. Thomas had been leading her by the hand, but he couldn't keep her standing, and their hands came apart.

Then, a large chunk of stone fell on top of the bridge. Sarah screamed as she plummeted down towards the sea of lava. I was frozen with fear. Thomas ran up to the edge of the stone outcrop we were on...

And jumped.

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Tired Author's Notes

Oh no! Sarah's in danger! Will I save her and Thomas? Or will I be cruel and kill them both? Only time will tell! Honestly, I'm not exceptionally proud of this one.

Oy vey, writing this was exhausting for some reason. I hope you guys enjoyed it!

Anywho, thank you for your time and support, have a great day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	28. Burns

Author's Notes

I can be crueler than you might think. :)

My sincerest thanks to everyone for your amazing support! I probably wouldn't be writing this without it. :D

Anywho, enough beating around the bush! Let's get on with the story!

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Eba's POV

There was nothing I could do. I was kept in place by horror as I watched Thomas jump down into the magma below, chasing after Sarah. He's going to kill himself for her!

Then I saw a dark orb fly from his hand towards the other end of the ravine. An ender pearl. Odd relief surged through me. He's not gonna kill himself, he's gonna save her!

Within an instant, purple dust appeared on the other outcrop, as well as Thomas and a badly burnt Sarah. Thomas turned to me, his face twisted in agony.

"Eba! Get us out of here, now!"

"B-but the obsidian-"

"Now, Eba! Sarah needs help now!"

I nodded and dropped the bag of obsidian. Creepers were still exploding, and large boulders fell from the ceiling. I warped beside Thomas and embraced him and Sarah. The wounded girl whined at my touch, and it frightened me to see her so vulnerable.

For an instant, we were sailing through the void, and the next, we were home. Thomas had burns on his hands and legs, but Sarah had been roasted. The sight made me feel squeamish, and I looked away. Thomas breathed deeply and screamed.

"Iza! Simon! Help!"

Iza was outside chatting with Lila, and she turned around upon hearing the urgency in Thomas's voice. Simon poked his head out from the storage shed and dashed towards us with a grimace. Iza ran inside and came back out with two spools of bandages.

Simon was already treating Sarah's burns while Lila bandaged Thomas's. Simon turned and called for Adrian.

"Adrian! Help me get these two into the med-bay!"

The large warrior nodded and ran forwards as Simon tried to get Sarah to stand. Her burnt legs buckled beneath her, but Thomas caught the girl before she could hit the ground. Thomas gingerly stood up, swaying as he went.

Adrian arrived and helped them. Thomas had somehow managed to pick Sarah up in his arms, and carried her to the house with the help of Simon and Adrian with Iza tailing the four of them.

I stood in the grass and watched helplessly as my best friends were carried inside.

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Simon's POV

I placed my hands on Sarah's more damaging burns first, the ones on her calves and back. However, when the burns were removed, I noticed that more damage had been done. There was a bloody mess of damaged tissue beneath every burn.

Iza skillfully wrapped every injury once I had healed the burns. I moved onto Thomas after every single one of Sarah's injuries were treated. He looked aware enough, a grimace of pain adorning his solemn face. I treated his legs and forearms, and checked him over to see if there was any more injuries. I found none.

Thomas blacked out for a few minutes from the pain. Sarah had been unconscious even before we brought her inside. When Thomas woke up, the first thing he did was scan the room frantically, looking for her.

"Wh-where is... Sarah? Is she okay?" I put my hand on his shoulder and pointed to the bed where Iza was treating her.

"She's Fine, Thomas. She'll be okay." I wasn't as sure about that as I sounded. The wounds Sarah had suffered were beyond severe, and possibly fatal. Thomas awkwardly stood up and limped towards her, sitting down on the bed and holding her.

Iza turned to me, and I gestured for her to keep calm. He would never do anything that could potentially hurt her even more. Thomas got more comfortable and laid Sarah's unmoving shape to his chest, holding her close and being careful not to hurt her. Tears were running down his cheeks from his tightly closed eyes.

Adrian waited at the doorway with his arms crossed, looking just as wounded as everyone. I felt loss hang heavy around my heart, and I bottled it up along with my other emoons. I waved my hand and the three of us left room. There was, after all, nothing more we could do.

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Sarah's POV

For a few seconds, all I felt was blinding pain coursing through me. Then nothing. All I saw was an eternal void, and all I felt was a dreadful sense of loss. Occasionally, I would be able to open my eyes, and then I'd just fade back to nothingness.

But there was one thing that remained constant every single time I woke. Two beautiful hazel eyes with a rim of gold within their irises, filled with loving devotion, always there, and always holding me close. I kept slipping into and out of consciousness.

But he never let go.

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Theridas's POV

I walked through the hallways of the fortress, searching for lady Anastasia's room. The guards made no sound except for the metallic clacking of their footsteps. Once there, I knocked on the stone door and entered. I was greeted with the frightened and disbelieving gaze of the former queen.

"Theridas? What is the meaning of this?"

"I-I'm terribly sorry, madame, b-but the new King of the nether realm requests your appearance. I-I need you to come with me, please." She stared at me through narrowed eyes.

"And if I don't?" I bowed my head.

"P-please, lady Anastasia, for your safety and mine. Not to mention that of the other residents in the nether fortress."

After a while, she nodded, and I led her back to Darkness. Once there, I noticed something. There was now a royal guard standing around him, composed of four warriors similar to the ones he sent me with, but bearing bejeweled armor and double-bladed swords.

"Ah, ex-queen Anastasia! What a pleasure to formally meet you." The king smiled, his void-black eyes almost glowing. The queen stood with her head high.

"What do you want, Darkness?" The demon chuckled.

"I need something from you, Anastasia. Some things." He stood and slowly walked towards the former queen, holding his hand out to touch her cheek. Then he trailed it down to rest at her neck.

"Hm. Interesting. Tell me, Anastasia, did the king love you?" Anger flared in the queen's eyes.

"Just as much as I loved him." The demon removed his hand and pushed it into his pockets.

"Really? Because I believed that when a blaze king married his partner, they received a little trinket. Something like... this?" He pulled a magma-pearl necklace from his pocket, showing it off to lady Anastasia. She betrayed no emotion. Darkness continued talking.

"Does this ring a bell, Anastasia? Did the king grant you one of these?" She stared straight at him, her hard gaze never wavering.

"You are wrong, Darkness. We loved each other, but he never gave me such thing."

The demon smiled. But his black eyes held no humor.

"Lies."

The guards pushed lady Anastasia to the ground with their spears, and she lay there on her knees looking up at the demon with raw hatred. Darkness chuckled and spoke again.

"Were is your daughter, Anastasia? I do believe you and the king had one, yes?"

"You'll never find her."

"I won't. But they will." He gestured to his royal guard, a wicked smile blooming on his face. "They won't hesitate to kill her, and bring back what belongs to me." The former queen lunged at the demon, but the guards held her back with their spears.

"If you dare lay one hand on my daughter-"

The demon reached back with one hand and slapped lady Anastasia hard across the face. I let out a breathless gasp. The former queen slowly turned back to face Darkness, a thin trail of blood oozing down to her chin from her bottom lip.

"Take her to the slammer, boys! And bring back my necklace." With that, Darkness turned around and sat back onto his throne. The guards grabbed lady Anastasia by the arms and led her away. The royal guards walked behind them until they turned a corner towards the fortress exit.

I stood there, unable to move. Then Darkness sighed, and I turned around to face him.

"M-my liegé, do... do you need anything? From me?" He stared at me with emotionless black eyes.

"As a matter of fact, Theridas, I do." He took out the magma-pearl necklace again and broke off the stone from the golden chain. He handed it to me. "Take this to the castle blacksmith. There is one, right?" I nodded.

"Y-yes, my lord."

"Good. Have him forge it onto my sword." A black flame appeared on his open palm. After an instant, it began to change, and morphed into the shape of a black long- sword. "When my royal guards return with the other Magma-pearl, have him attach it to the other side. If he refuses, tell me, and I'll send someone over to... convince him."

I nodded and took his sword by the hilt. It felt unnaturally warm. "I-I'll have it done right away, my lord." He sat back onto the throne and looked at the roof of the massive cavern where the fortress sat.

"See to it that you do, Theridas." I nodded, and walked hurriedly away.

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Kaitlin's POV

I lay in that little hole carved into the netherrack walls, hungry and miserable, waiting for the voice in my head to return. I fell asleep shortly after the last time we spoke, and had just woken up. Ugh... come on... I need to get moving.

I crawled out and stood up. Looking around, I noticed an alarming lack of nether-mobs. When I first found this little haven, they were everywhere. What happened?

I wandered n the direction of the nether portal, my bare feet making almost no sound against the rugged netherrack. It didn't hurt as much as it would seem since I had gotten used to walking barefoot, much to my mother's displeasure. The thought brought me back to the most recent events, and fresh tears fell down my cheeks.

I walked for what seemed like hours until I finally reached the cave where the nether portal was sighted. There was an eerie stillness in the hot air, and it didn't help that I hadn't seen a single mob on my way here.

I stepped closer and peeked around a bend in the tunnel leading to the cave. The nether portal remained dead and unlit. I sat down on the gravely floor. There was nothing to do but wait. After a couple minutes, I began hearing heavy footsteps.

I peeked outside, curious. There was nothing there, not even a rouge Magma Cube. But i still heard those footsteps, and they were getting closer. I looked around but there was still no sign of life. Then I saw a single mob appear around a netherrack pillar.

It was a zombie pigman, I think. He was wearing metal armor with gems encrusted on it's helmet and chest plate, and he had a double-bladed long sword in it's peculiar sheath.. I hid back behind the bend of the cave's entrance tunnel.

I listened from here as the monster wandered, seemingly lost. Then the footsteps ceased. The portal remained unlit. I poked my head out again, but the pigman was gone. Then I heard the alarming sound of a blade being drawn.

I turned around to find the monster behind me, sword arched behind his back, ready to swing down and pierce me. Before he could strike, I rolled out of the way. The pigman pulled his sword from the gravel and turned to face me again. I stood up and felt a strong hand holding me in place by the shoulder.

I craned my head to look behind me and found another pigman warrior about to stab me from behind. I spun out of his grasp in the nick of time, feeling as the blade grazed my bare back. I heard a third set of footsteps and realized that the pigman warriors had me surrounded.

They pushed me back and away from the nether portal cave. I felt fear and anger rush through me. The necklace my mother had given me began to hum and shine lightly. Like every blaze in the nether, I was able to conjure small fireballs in self defense or as a means of demolition. But when I summoned one, it felt hotter, and looked brighter.

The pigmen did not seem fazed in the least, and kept walking decidedly towards me. I summoned another fireball, this time on my left hand, and held my ground.

"Stay back! I'm warning you!"

The pigmen did not react to my threat and took another step forwards. The fireballs in my hands were diminishing in size, but I felt how the energy within them kept rising. I took a step back and held on to the flames, now the size of small apples. The light they gave off was blinding.

"You asked for it, then!"

I reached back with my right hand and threw the fireball as hard as I could. It exploded open making contact with the first pigman, throwing him away and melting half of it's armor. I began to summon a third as I threw the second, which caused the last pigman to erupt in flames, sending him back and onto the floor.

The final pigman dashed forwards with his blade trailing behind me. I didn't have time to 'charge' my fireball, and threw it at his feet instead. The pigman lost his balance and fell hard on the ground.

I was breathing heavily and felt tired. The pigmen carefully began to stand up, and I took the opportunity to dash into the nether portal cave. The obsidian frame remained unlit.

Lords dammit, Thomas. Where are you?

I listened as the pigmen began to slowly walk into the tunnel entrance, and summoned two more fireballs. This drained every last shred of energy I had, but I held my ground. Like my father, this would be my last stand, and I'd give it everything I've got.

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Author's Notes

There! I have finished the chapter!

How did it go? Was it any good?

Once again, I want to thank everyone for all your wonderful support! Honestly ThinMint, I rather like when people ramble on about my story. Makes me feel important :P

Aywho, thank you all for your time and support! Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	29. Blight

Author's Notes

(Types enthusiastically and completely forgets to add the beginning author's notes until the very end)... oh... um... hi?

Huge thanks to everyone for all of your support! Also, Lady Granger, I like that name too. Might use it for someone in the future. Maybe not right now, though. :)

On with the story!

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Eba's POV

I walked down the dark tunnel with a lit torch in hand. Sarah had woken up and fallen back asleep repetitively, and it got so scary and frustrating to just sit around that I decided to do something helpful. I turned a corner and the gloomy orange light from the Magma lake in the ravine lit up that last stretch.

Gingerly walking forwards, I searched for the large burlap sack. Oh... where is it? I left it right here. The Magma lake rose... at least the roof isn't falling down anymore.

I wandered around the outcrop of stone, searching to no avail. Just as I decided to head back, I saw a tip of cloth poking out behind a pile of rubble. Shaking lightly from hope and relief, I began to pull the rocks away. Oh thank the lords, it's here! All the blocks are okay! Time to head back...

Suddenly, I heard the same cackle we had when the ravine began to fall down. I shrieked and ran towards the tunnel, burlap sack in tow. The terrifying laughter chased me, and I felt something cold grasp my shoulder.

I tripped and fell, then turned quickly around to see what had caught me. From the light of the torch, all I could see was an oddly shaped shadow on the wall. A shadow that wasn't mine.

Hello, there, endergirl.

I had no more breath, and I crawled back gasping.

Don't be afraid. I won't do anything to you...

I breathed deeply, trying to calm myself down. Tears were falling down my cheeks, and my vision was swimming. After some time, I got my voice back.

"Wh-who... who's there?"

Just me, little one.

"A-and w-who are you?"

Oh, nobody in particular. Just a demon looking for revenge, is all.

I lost my voice again and had to crawl over to the tunnel wall to calm down.

"D-d-demon? W-what d-Do you want from m-me?"

I require a vessel, dear. And you will do just fine.

I shielded my face with my arms and whimpered.

"N-no! P-please! D-Don't hurt me!"

I won't hurt you, darling. All I need is your help. Do you know Darkness?

"D-d-Darkness? N-no."

How about light? Or sun?

"W-well th-the sun is a b-ball in the sky..."

No, no, no, I mean the spirit.

"Th-then no..."

Hmm...

I watched as a shape formed before my very eyes, solidifying in front of me. I picked up the torch and held it out. I could see better now, and I realized that this so-called demon looked just like Thomas but with light-grey eyes. He smiled at me.

"There. This is my... solid form, so to speak. I morphed to it so you would feel more comfortable in my presence. My name is blight."

"I-I d-Don't... feel more comfortable."

The demon sighed and leaned against the stone wall. I put down the torch and brought my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. After a while, he spoke again.

"I need a vessel. I promise that no harm will come to you."

I hesitated and spoke up. "A-and my friends?"

He bowed. "No harm shall come to them either."

I nodded, but spoke before he could move. "What will it feel like? To be your vessel?"

He smiled. "You will hear my voice in your head, thoughts and ideas will be shared between us. And, with your permission, I'll be able to harness your body."

I nodded again, and whispered softly. "Okay."

The demon grinned and he dove at me, swiftly turning into a cloud of black dust. Just as he reached me, I felt a cold pressure on my forehead, and immense pain on the same spot. I moaned at the feeling, as if my skull were being perforated and burnt.

Then the pain stopped. I breathed heavily, holding myself tight. After a while I spoke.

"Y-... you said you wouldn't hurt me..."

I'm sorry, little one. It was never my intention, I assure you.

"D-Don't... don't call me that."

Very well. What shall I call you?

"M-my name is Eba."

Eba? That's odd...

"I-it means clever in ancient enderman. I-I thought that, since you are a demon, you might know that."

Hm. I may be immortal, but im not that old.

"S-Sorry."

Don't be. Uh... where you not in the middle of something?

I blinked and realized that I had completely forgotten about the obsidian. I stood up shakily and threw the burlap sack over my shoulder. It didn't feel as heavy as it did before. Did one of the blocks fall?

I looked at the floor but found no rouge obsidian bricks.

They feel lighter because of me. My essence has made you stronger.

"I-wh-... huh? How did you know what I was thinking?"

That is part of the deal. You become my vessel, and I help you. The fact that I can hear your thoughts just as you can hear mine is consequential.

"Oh. O-okay, then."

I picked up the torch, which looked much brighter than before.

I've also improved your night-vision. If I were to take over your body, I would be able to warp. I cannot otherwise.

I nodded to myself and continued walking. After a while, the torch light became too irritating, and I dropped it. Once my eyes got used to the darkness, I realized that I could see clearly. Once outside, I breathed in the fresh scents of the forest.

Then I warped home.

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Simon's POV

I was smelting more ingots in a new, bigger and more efficient forge. I was pulling an I got out when Eba appeared silently beside me, making me jump and drop the hardening metal. Eba looked just as surprised, and took a step back. There were no purple dust particles anywhere.

"For all the lord's sakes, Eba! You scared me half to death!" She blushed and took a few more steps back.

"S-Sorry." I sighed. The sight of her could make anyone's heart melt.

"It's fine. Just... warp louder, okay?"

"Uh... I-I don't know if that's possible..."

"I'm kidding, Eba. What's that?" The endergirl had a large burlap sack hanging from one shoulder. She pulled it off her back and dumped the contents on the floor.

"They're the obsidian bricks that Thomas, Sarah and me gathered but didn't bring back." Her voice cracked as she spoke Sarah's name, and tears began to bloom on her already puffy eyes. Had she been crying?

"That's... wow. How did you manage to bring them by yourself?"

"I-I warped. Normally, teleporting this much stuff would make me feel exhausted, but for some reason I don't." Her eyes twitched upwards slightly, and understanding dawned on her face. Before I could ask her about it, she turned around.

"How's Sarah?" I smiled even though she wouldn't be able to see.

"Getting better. Thomas doesn't let go of her at all, not even to eat. I would be more worried of him than Sarah, to be honest." She nodded and walked decidedly towards the house, muttering to herself. I managed to catch a few words; ... can you?... consequences?... o-okay...

This was very odd, but I decided against investigating. I was pretty busy at the time anyway. I picked up the heavy burlap sack and dragged it to a clear and flat area, then called for help. "Adrian! Can you help me build up the nether portal?"

The large warrior was talking with Lila. When he broke off the conversation, the cave spider's head dropped a little. The wither skeleton walked over, his face a mask of confusion.

"Did you gather these? When?"

"I didn't. Eba did. She's gone off to be with Sarah, but I thought that it was probably a good thing for us to construct the nether portal." The warrior nodded and picked up one of the blocks.

"Right. Let's get to it."

We used wood for the corners, making it so the frame wouldn't collapse on itself. It took us less than an hour to build. Just as we placed the final block, we heard multiple happy shouts coming from the med-bay. Adrian and I looked at each other, then dashed towards the house.

Everyone was already there, a chorus of thank the lords and I'm so glad you're okay as well as crying erupting all around. Sarah was holding on to Thomas like she was afraid to let go, and Thomas was crying into her inky black hair. Eba stood a few ways away, looking tired but happy. And... proud?

We all hugged Sarah, and the whole gang was overjoyed. Her wounds still bugged her, but she was awake. And that was enough for everybody. After some time, Sarah limped back to Thomas and she threw her arms around his neck, holding him close and giving him a full kiss.

Thomas looked surprised but responded after a few heartbeats. It got awkward very fast. People started filing out, giggling and blushing. We closed the door behind us, wanting to give them some privacy.

After an hour (an entire hour!), the two lovebirds left the house and stood outside. Their faces were flushed, but it didn't look like anything too... intense had happened. Thomas noticed the portal right away and a smiled bloomed on his face. He and Sarah limped closer. (Sarah was limping, Thomas wasn't.)

"When did you guys build this?" Adrian puffed out his chest in pride. I leaned against the sturdy obsidian frame.

"Just now, actually. Eba brought the blocks out from the mine."

The endergirl blushed and turned away. "I-I just felt like I should be doing more..."

Thomas gor closer, Sarah still clinging to his side. "Thanks, Eba. I... suppose we should light it."

I nodded and tossed him one of my sheathed shortswords. He caught it mid-air and drew the blade from it's leather holster. He reluctantly let go of Sarah's waist and eba helped keep the unsteady girl up while Thomas walked up to the portal.

"Everyone, get ready. We don't know what could come out of this thing. Simon... fire it up."

I snapped my fingers and a small spark flew from my gloves and hit the obsidian. At first nothing happened. Then, after a few seconds, a bright purple sheen flashed into existence. Thomas took a step towards the portal.

And then a shape barreled through and knocked him to the floor.

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Theridas's POV

I wandered the gloomy halls of the nether fortress looking for the blacksmith's room. Some of the other servants -the cook, the tailor, and the lead maid- where packing up their stuff. Pretty much everyone was running for the hills.

More guards showed up everywhere, some of them catching the fleeing workers and taking them back to their posts. I ignored all this and continued walking.

After some time, I traveled down the stairs and through a hallway towards the smith's quarters. I knocked on the stone door before entering, just as I had with lady Anastasia's quarters. The memory made me shudder.

The smith was also packing up his things, putting tools and materials into a large case. He spotted me and made an effort to smile.

"Whut de haell you doin' here, teridus? Ev'ry'uns packin' up! We gots to go!" The large man stuffed things more frantically into his case. I held my hands intertwined in front of me.

"Uh... Monsul, th-the king of the nether realm has sent me to give you a task."

The smith stared at me, utterly baffled. "Whut's gotten into you, teridus? De king's dead! Dat wack-job demon's done slain 'im!" I cleared my throat and repeated the message.

"The king of the nether realm has sent me to give you a task. If you will not comply, he will send one of his guards to 'convince' you."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Oy, so dat's how it is. Fine. Whut's dis 'task'?"

I showed him the sword which hung on my back by some ropes in a backpack manner, and pulled out the Magma-pearl. "H-He wants you to attach the gem to the sword, monsul."

He took both and examined them. "Hmm... do you know whut dis is, teridus? It's black magic, dat's whut. The sword... it's made of solid flames. Wit de Magma-stone, it's power potential would multiply."

He dropped the sword on the ground, and took a step forward so he was now towering over me. "Do you really want de king wieldin' such a powerful weapon?" I swallowed and took a step back.

"I-if you d-Don't do it, he will kill us-" Monsul took another step forwards and knocked a nearby table to the ground.

"If ah do, he'll kill everythin'! Do you not understand whut dat damned thing would be capable of?!? It would shatter the worlds! All of them!"

I was shaking now, pinned against the wall. The fury and fear in his eyes was terrifying. I breathed deeply.

"S-surely you're overreacting, Monsul. After all, th-the king does not possess lady Anastasia's Magma-pearl." The blacksmith blinked and took a step back, thinking.

"Hmm... without it's match, de sword would only be so powerful... you're right, little guy. Maybe I overreacted." He picked up the sword from the ground. "Tell de king dat I'll do it. But it will take time."

I bowed. "Th-Thank you, Monsul. I'll tell the king right away." The smith began to pull tools out of his case and walked over to the anvil and forge positioned in the corner of his quarters. "Yeah, Yeah... just a heads up, tho." I took a step towards him.

"Wh-What is it?"

He turned to face me. "You tell dat bitch dat he'll nevuh be my king." With that, he began hammering away at the black sword. I swallowed again and left the room in a hurry.

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Author's Notes

I'm happy! :D

I loved the way this chapter turned out. How about you?

Now, before you go on and say I stole another one of your ideas, GiggiEba, I'm just gonna say... yep. I think I did. Sorry not sorry. :P

I hoe you guys enjoyed this one! Thank you for your time and support, Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	30. Exhausting Surprises

Author's Notes

I cannot stress enough how happy I am that people like my story... I just can't. :'D

Also, GiggiEba, while blight is a condition that plants get as a result of fungi pretty much murdering them, it is also anything that causes deterioration or harm.*

Also also, ThinMint, you are very perceptive. :D How did you know?

Anywho, let's get on with the story!

(Yes, I did look up blight. :P)

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Adrian's POV

Just as Thomas took the first step towards the purple sheen of the nether portal, someone jumped through and fell on him, knocking them both to the ground. The next second, one half-melted shape took a step forwards with a double-headed sword. I drew my own, just like Simon, and I saw everyone else pull out their weapons.

I swung at the creature, but it parried my attack with one of it's metal gauntlets. Simon dashed forwards and slashed the monster's exposed body before jumping out of range. It let out a hideous gurgly roar and charged.

Lila threw her knives, but the warrior did not flinch. I just about had enough time to protect myself with the obsidian sword. Simon ran up and stuffed a lit stick of dynamite into the creature's armor. "Clear!"

I jumped back and parried another attack before punching the monster back. The dynamite exploded, sending green blood and shrapnel everywhere.anothe creature walked through the portal, but it's armor looked pristine except for burns on the boots.

Valory ran up and shoved her spear behind it, under a plate in the armor. The monster roared and swung back with it's hand, knocking her away. I brought my sword down onto the warrior's shoulder, removing the arm that was wielding the sword in one blow.

It grumbled and turned around, catching me off-guard with a sucker punch. I tumbled to the floor and watched as Lila jumped up on the warrior's back and chocked him. Letting out a furious shriek, she drove a knife into the warrior's throat, and it gurgled in pain, drooping to it's knees.

Lila backs off and we watched as it fell the rest of the way down, turning to ash. We were all breathing heavily. After a moment, Thomas spoke up.

"Uh, guys? A little help?"

We turned to see him still on the floor, an unconscious girl lying on top of him. She was wearing nothing but red undergarments and a necklace. 5'8, maybe, with flaming Orange-blonde hair and olive skin. There were cuts and grazes all over her body.

Valory and I helped pick her up and off Thomas. He stood up and walked over to Sarah, who was with Eba, who was hiding behind the main door's frame staring at us. There was something odd in her eyes, and she looked unfocused. Sarah had a poker face on, but Thomas enveloped her in a hug and it fell apart.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I am. I was never in any danger."

"I know, but still. I wanted to make sure."

I carried the unconscious girl in my arms and walked past them towards the med-bay. It seemed to be getting used a lot, recently. I put her down on one of the clean beds. Iza was already there, gathering bandages and checking her over. She was mumbling to herself.

Simon walked in through the door. "How's our unfortunate guest?" Iza looked up for a moment before continuing to wrap up the girl's injuries.

"Alright, I think. She has a few cuts here and there, but nothing is broken or seriously damaged. This would be easier to treat with healing potions." She muttered the last sentence to herself. Simon nodded.

"Thomas asked me to take the portal apart, so I did. He and the rest of the guys will be here in a second." He walked closer and put his hand on Iza's shoulder. "How are you holding up?" She waved him away playfully as she finished her work.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired. And I'm still wondering how Sarah managed to get up. Her wounds were very severe, but she just... awoke." Simon nodded. I left the room as everyone started filing in, looking for fresh air.

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Eba's POV

Blight had somehow managed to heal Sarah enough to the point that she could walk around. The only catch was... it left me comepletely exhausted.

You should rest.

N-n... not right now... it's almost nighttime anyway...

Suit yourself.

He 'floated' to the back of my mind, absently looking through my memories. I was outside harvesting wheat with Valory. The apple trees Thomas had planted were now almost as tall as the second floor to the house. The 'penthouse' Simon wanted to build remained unclaimed since it was the last room he added. We might end up giving it to the new girl.

I gathered the last few clumps of wheat before dumping it off and walking inside. Everyone was chatting exitedly at the dinner table, except for Iza who was probably in the med-bay. Simon was in the kitchen.

How can you deal with so many people?

They're my friends. My family.

Hm.

Blight said nothing else, turning back to my memories. I didn't like the feeling of being probed, but I owed it to him since he saved Sarah's life. I sat down just as Simon began placing dishes on the table. It was some more bread, dandelion salad, and

pork/mutton. Mutton for me, pork for everyone else.

I began devouring my meal, loving the taste of the tender meat.

Mm, how does he cook this?

On the oven, I presume.

No, I meant, in which way?

Ask him.

B-but I'm eating... and it would be too awkward...

That seems to be your main problem.

What?

You are very insecure. I could help with that too. I'm naturally full of myself.

Oh... um... maybe later.

I ate my fill and timidly asked for more. Simon stood up and took my plate, carrying it back to the kitchen. He came back a few minutes later with a fresh batch of everything. Iza walked into the room and sat down beside Simon. The slime girl leaned against him and sighed, resting her head on his shoulder I felt Blight chuckle to himself and saw an idea flash through my mind.

Oh, no. No no no no no, no! Don't do it, Blight!

Why not? You want to feel less insecure, right? This is a step in the right direction.

B-b-but... aw... why This, though? Can't I do something else?

You could, and it'd be a lot less fruitful. Not to mention less funny.

Aw... fine. Do... do I have to do it?

No. I can take over your mouth and voice if you like.

P-please do...

I felt as my lips and throat turned cold, and Blight cleared my throat. He took a bite of my mutton and moaned. "This tastes so good Simon! If Iza wasn't around, I'd make you mine right now." I felt my cheeks turn blood-red, and I cringed on the inside. Everyone stared at me, forks midway from their plates to their mouths.

Simon cleared his throat and Iza put hugged his arm, her eyes narrowing just a little. I felt Blight give me back control of my voice and I gave a breathless little giggle.

"I-I mean... I'm joking. O-obviously." I began eating again, but the food tasted like ashes now. My cheeks felt so hot, and I wondered if everyone could hear my heart beating a thousand times a second. I wanted to be everywhere but here.

After a while, everyone went back to eating. Once I was done, I shakily excused myself and warped to my room. I jumped on my bed, lying sprawled on the soft mattress. I sighed in relief and contempt. Blight spoke up, laughter underlying his voice.

See? That wasn't so bad.

Yes it was! That was so embarrassing!

Yeah, right. Don't worry, the feeling will subside. Besides, everyone will forget in the morning.

I'm not so sure... did you see the way Iza was looking at me?

Ha-ha, yeah! That was priceless!

S-stop laughing! This isn't funny!

Oh, hah, yo-you're right, its- it's really not that funny.

The demon chuckled under his breath. I got myself in a more comfortable spot and covered myself with the blankets. I sighed.

You are so mean.

Damn straight. Now, *grunt, time to hit the sack. 'Night.

I-y-wh... huh? You're... going to sleep? In my head???

I didn't get a response, unless peaceful snoring counted. I sighed again and rolled onto my side. Today was full of exhausting surprises.

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Theridas' POV

I was standing beside the king's throne absently fidgeting with my hands as Darkness summoned more and more monsters. He was spawning loads of them, sending them off to do this or that. There was a strange twinge of jealousy every time he sent one of his creations to do something. Like i wasn't necessary anymore.

After a while, he stopped and flopped onto the netherbrick throne. Darkness stretched a little and yawned. "Theridas."

I jumped as he mentioned my name. "Y-yes, my liegé?" He scratched his chin, as if pretending to have a beard.

"How is my sword coming along?"

"Uh, I d-don't know, sir. Do... do you want me to check?" I spoke the last few words hopefully, standing straighter.

He shook his head. "No, I can just send one of my monsters." I nodded and sighed, slouching against the wall.

"Yeah, send another damn monster. Might as well replace me with one..." I muttered these words under my breath. I saw his head turn to me out of the corner of my eye, and my heart began hammering in my chest.

"What was that, Theridas?"

"N-nothing, my lord..."

"Are you sure? I thought I heard something about replacing you with another damn monster. Or am I wrong?" I swallowed the large lump that formed in my throat.

"W-Well, I-I mean, it's j-just... I-I d-didnt m-mean t-to offend, m-my lord..." Darkness smiled and laughed heartily. After a while, he stopped enough to speak again.

"No offense taken, Theridas. Go check on my sword, and hurry." I stood up straight.

"Y-yes! Right away, my lord!"

I dashed away, glad to finally be of service. I wandered the hallways giddily until I reached the blacksmith's quarters. I knocked on the door and stepped inside. The forge was lit, and there was an unbearable heat all over the dark room. The smith was on the anvil hammering away.

"Monsul! The king wants to know how his weapon is coming along." The large man turned around to face me.

"Uh, teridus! Ah'm almos' dun wit de weapon. Ye wudn't buhlieve how harhd it wus fo' meh to dunt de damn thin'. An' it's even harhder to put de focking Magma-peahl in theh!"

His ranting usually scared me, but I was feeling much too good. Instead, it made me giggle. The smith raised an eyebrow and smiled lightly.

"Yeh fand meh humorous, do yeh? Must be in a good mood, eh?" I puffed out my chest in pride.

"Indeed. I was feeling rather down recently since the king had opted to send monsters to do my job. However, it seems that time has passed. It is nice to feel important."

The blacksmith nodded and continued working. After a while, the heat became to much, and i cleared my throat. "So... I guess I better get going. Off to report this to the king." The smith 'hmph'd but didn't turn around. I nodded to myself and left the room.

on my way back, I heard a small hiss from one of the windows. I turned around, surprised. There was a small girl poking her head out, her white hair flowing down from the top of her head. I looked around to make sure no one was looking before getting closer. I whispered at her.

"Ella! What are you doing here?" The girl took as step back.

"W-well, I was-"

"Go back home! It's dangerous for you to be out there!" Her crimson eyes widened and tears began to form in them. After a few seconds, she started sobbing quietly. I sighed in frustration and inched closer, looking around again.

"What's wrong, kid? You need to go, now."

"B-but, he-"

"Head back to the glowstone fortress with your parents. They're probably worried sick about you." She started bawling now, and I began to worry that she would get caught. I don't know what Darkness would do to her if they did.

"Calm down, shh! Be quiet! Do you want the monsters to get you?"

"Th-they're d-dead!" Her voice cracked and was barely understandable through her sobs.

"Who's dead? What happened, kiddo?"

"H-he killed my parents!" She crumpled on the netherrack floor outside the fortress and curled up into a ball. I looked around one last time and jumped out with her.

"Shh, it's okay, it's okay. What happened?" She wiped some of the tears off her face with the back of her hand. After she calmed down a little, she spoke again between sniffles.

"Th-the glowstone fortress... it's gone. H-He brought it down. A-And my parents... t-they went down with it." She looked like she was having a mental breakdown. I rubbed her shoulder with my arm and hugged her.

"Don't worry, everything's fine. Who destroyed the glowstone fortress?" The shock of it hit me only after I spoke the last few words. Someone brought down the oldest structure in the nether-realm, the home of the Ghast Queen and her servants.

Ella sniffled and wiped her face again. She pointed one shaky finger to the throne room, which was in front of us, parallel to the hall we were outside of.

"He did."

I understood immediately. Darkness had destroyed the glowstone fortress. And orphaned a child along the way. A massive wave of repulsion ran through me, and the thought of my earlier giddyness made my stomach churn with self-hate. I hugged Ella tighter. The young girl began to cry again.

"Shh, Shh, it's alright, kid. Everything's gonna be fine. Don't you worry. I'm here for you, okay?" I tilted her head up and she sniffled. After a while, she wiped more tears of her face and nodded.

"Okay. Where will I go? What will I do without my parents?"

I sighed. Maybe she could live with me. I could hide her in my quarters, maybe find a way to get her into the overworld. I let go of her and stood up, taking her small hand in mine. "

"You'll be Fine. Come on, quietly. I'll take you to my room and you can hide there. I'll get you some food later, okay?" She responded with a small 'mkay' and I led her down the halls.

After a while, we stopped at my quarters. I opened the door and let Ella in.she walked over to the bed and crawled on. She stared at me with glassy eyes. The sight of her made my heart break in two. "I'll be back soon, alright? Don't go anywhere." She nodded and I closed the door.

Sighing, I left and walked back to the throne room. There was a report that needed to be made, and given to a certain putrid someone.

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Author's Notes

I said I was going to use the name Ella in another story, but it fit so perfectly here... I just couldn't help it. :I

Also, looks like Eba's having some issues with blight... :P

Also also, ThinMint, looks like you were right. :)

Anywho, Thank you all so much for your time and support, have a great day!

~ LeMafiaKreb

(P.S, I posted this in the middle of the night. Was just too exited to wait until morning to publish it. :D)


	31. Rot-Sand

Author's Notes

Uhm... ThinMint? I am still trying to figure out your review... Thomas is the only one with the gold in his eyes. Also, which swords are you talking about? There's just one...

Anywho, on with the story!

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Iza's POV

Eba's boldness summoned a flare of jealousy within me last night, and the next morning I spent all day avoiding her and sticking to Simon. There is no doubt that the endergirl is beautiful, and I'm sure that if she pushed herself to it, she would leave me in the dust. The thought of loosing Simon made me cringe inwardly.

The creeper sensed my discomfort, but said nothing. He was being his usual distracted and emotionless self except for the few times he allowed said emotions to roam, when we were alone. When it happens, he squeezes my hand, leans in to kiss my cheek and nuzzles my neck. It tickles me, and I end up giggling every time.

We were wandering side-by-side in the forest after a long day of mining at the lake. My legs and arms were sore. "Simon, can we go back? My legs ache." He turned and smiled at me, his beautiful dark-green eyes staring lovingly through the amber glass of his goggles.

"Of course. Should I take you to your room, Z?" His nickname for me. It still seems funny that he shortened my name even further. I nodded and hugged his arm tightly, a tired smile blooming on my face.

We walked back home and greeted everyone. Thomas and Sarah were lounging outside on the grass, Jack was trying to talk to Lila, Valory was helping Adrian move logs, and Eba was drawing while resting against a tree.

We walked in, and I decided to check up on the girl that had come through the nether portal. She was still on the bed, but she wasn't asleep anymore. Amber-colored eyes were staring at us with fear and curiosity. I took a step back. The girl sat up on the mattress, leaning against the wall.

We stood like that for a few moments before I found the courage to speak. "Uh... hi. Who... how are you feeling?" The girl looked herself over, then stared at us intently.

Simon whispered in my ear. "I'm gonna go get Thomas." I nodded without looking away from our guest and Simon left the room. I walked closer, and the girl cringed away, backing up further into the wall.

"Shh, it's okay, don't worry. You're safe now. Those monster things won't hurt you anymore." She narrowed her eyes but didn't move. We sat at a standstill for a little while before Simon came back with Thomas, Sarah in tow. The girl looked at us frantically, swapping from me or Thomas or Sarah or Simon.

She raised her hand as if to protect her face, and a small flame began to grow on it. Thomas quickly stepped up, raising both his hands. "Woah, wait, don't! It's fine, okay? Everything's fine, just... please don't burn the house down."

Recognition flashed in the girl's amber eyes, and she leaned closer. "Th-Thomas?" The guy nodded and smiled.

"Yep. Hi, Kaitlin." The girl blinked and scooted all the way to the edge of the bed.

"Is... is that really you? Am I... am I safe?" Thomas took a step closer. Sarah was holding his hand and she walked with him, poker face hiding any emotion.

"Yes, you're safe now. We closed the portal, so nothing else will be able to get in." He extended a hand out to Kaitlin, and she hesitated. She swung her legs out from underneath her and slowly began to stand up, swaying a little.

Once she had gotten herself straight, she took Thomas's hand. He shook it and smiled.

"Welcome to the overworld."

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Eba's POV

We all got to meet Kaitlin, but it was very awkward. She looked like she didn't really want to be outside, much less with anyone. When it was my turn, I inched closed and pulled my hood off. I smiled timidly and shook her warm hand. Blight reacted very differently to Kaitlin.

Ooh, la la, what a hottie...

Blight! Get your mind out of the gutter! This is no time for your... your... ugh, demon stuff!

This isn't just demon stuff. I mean, look at her! Those eyes, the clothing (*ahem, or the lack thereof) the hair, her body... mmm.

Ew, stop! Please!

Hmph. Fine.

There were all sorts of twisted fantasies running through my head, and it took everything within me to not scream out loud. My face was blood red, and when the Blaze girl noticed, she blushed too. I gave a nervous giggle and shrugged before warping away to the lake. I sat on my little island rock in the middle of it.

Blight!

... yes?

Don't you ever do that again! It was so embarrassing!

Not making any promises.

Ugh, you are so annoying!

Why thank you.

Before I could continue ranting at him, he drifted off the the back of my mind combing through my memories. I sighed and pulled out my sketchbook from my hoodie pockets. I opened it up to a clean page and began tracing lines with my pencil.

After a while, the little streaks I made started taking shape. Blight caught interest of my drawing.

Hey, I recognize this. It's from one of your memories.

Uh-huh. Thomas and Sarah had left in the middle of the night, and we found them lying together on the grass like this. They looked so peaceful.

Hm... you are a very good artist.

Thank you.

I continued to draw, and after an hour, I blew off any dust from the page and extended my arms out to see it better.

Perfect.

Indeed. Almost like the memory.

Almost?

It lacks color.

Oh. I can't really color it in, though.

I know that, just stating the facts.

I nodded to myself and flipped the page to a fresh one. I began doodling again, this time imagining a monster. When I draw, it feels like I don't need to be scared of anything anymore, so it doesn't bother me.

I drew a large black salamander with four beady eyes and a long tail. It was breathing fire and had sharp needle-like teeth.

That is... impressive, to say the least.

Thanks.

What is it?

I don't know. Just... a mutant salamander I guess.

Hm.

Once I was done, I felt much better. I closed the book and put it away, staring at the sun as it began to set.

We should probably head back.

Wait. I have an idea.

Really? What?

We could train here. Like most demons and spirits, I have an... element, I suppose. For example, a demon can have fire, poison, Frost, and rot among others. We can have multiple elements, but the more we possess, the less powerful each of them is.

And... which one do you have?

I have rot. Whatever I touch will wither away.

Oh.

So, I was thinking, I could teach you to fight.

I couldn't answer because i was too distracted with something. I felt memories pour from him, overwhelming me. I saw through Blight's lights grey eyes, watched as he swung scythes and axes, threw spears and cleaved swords into the trunks of trees. Looked on as everything he touched died off, leaving an entire forest grey, dead and empty. But it felt so good.

You... wiped out... an entire forest?

Yes, and with much glee. I absorb the life of those who wither, and it makes me stronger. These memories are from the last time I killed, more than two decades ago.

T-two decades?!?

Uh-huh. Keep looking.

More memories rushed at me. Blight was standing in the middle of the devastated forest, picking his teeth with a shattered bone. All of a sudden, a shape appeared out of nowhere and knocked him back twenty feet with a single punch. Blight managed to land on his feet, sliding to a stop.

He looked up, and saw another demon smiling devilishly down at him. It had eyes that were darker than a night without the moon, and he bent down to pick up Blight by the neck. He held him in the air, grinning.

"Hello there, punk. Who are you?"

"B-b... Blight... who the... The fuck are y-you..?"

The demon's grin vanished, and he leaned in towards blight's face, less than an inch apart.

"This is my world, do you hear me, bitch? And I don't need insignificant bugs like you tearing it up before I'm done with it. Remember my name for all eternity, cunt. I. Am. Darkness."

With that he threw Blight into the ground and a black sword materialized in his hand, blurry at first, as if it where made of pure heat. Darkness plunged the blade into Blight's chest, all the way through. I could feel everything as if I had been the one to get stabbed.

Blight screamed in pain, and Darkness smiled. I felt as if every atom of my body was being ripped apart and burnt. Darkness raised his blade, and Blight came with it. He looked down and saw the body of a pale, unconscious young man on the floor. There were no wounds on him.

Blight looked at Darkness in shock, quaking from the pain. "H-How... did you... r-rip me... from my vessel..?" The demon smiled and put two fingers to his lips, as if shushing him.

"Watch what happens when you cross me, Blight."

He picked up the man by the neck and held him high so Blight could see from the end of Darkness's blade. Darkness squeezed, chocking the man. Then, flames erupted from his hand, quickly consuming the body. Blight felt anguish and immense pain.

"N-no! Don't... what are you doing?!?... s-stop!"

Darkness chuckled but said nothing. Blight watched as his vessel was incinerated, turning to ash and piling up on the floor. He roared, and tried to summon a weapon. Darkness smiled as the last of Blight's vessel disappeared. Then he turned to face the squirming demon.

"You are nothing without your vessel, are you? Just a shadow, unable to defend yourself."

Blight flared up in anger. But Darkness was right. He couldn't move while stuck on that infernal sword. Darkness walked on, bringing him down and into a cave. Blight continued to move, trying desperately to free himself. But the damage was too great. He soon tired out and focused on fighting back the pain.

They walked until they entered a ravine, one with a sturdy-looking mineshaft bridge. Darkness planted the sword in the middle of the bridge. Black Flames erupted from his hands, creating walls on either exit. The sword blight was on desintegrated, setting him free.

Darkness turned around and walked away, through the black fire. "You'll never leave this place without a vessel, and there is nothing here for you to kill." Blight tried to follow him, but the flames scorched his being. After a decade, he stopped trying to leave, just waiting.

And along came an endergirl with her friends.

I shuddered.

That's so... so horrible, Blight. I'm sorry.

Don't be. I may have lost my original vessel, but now I have you.

Will... will you ever go on another rampage?

Not unless you let me.

Oh. Okay.

I was badly shaken up, and he knew it.

Don't worry Eba. I promise you, with all my unholy being, that I will defend you as best as I can. I will not let that son of a bitch harm you. I'll fight him to the death before that happens.

I nodded, still feeling scared. I extended a hand, looking at it. I remember the feeling of absorbing life from the forest, how pleasureable it had been. How amazing it felt to summon weapons with my bare hands, to feel Blight's rot-sand trail along them and take shape.

Blight... take control of me.

What?

Take over my body. I want you to go on a rampage. Slaughter another forest. Just... not here. Far away from here. I... want to feel that way. Like... from the memory.

...Are you sure? It... you might not be the same afterwards.

I...

my hand began to tremble, and doubt began to seep in.

I know the pleasure it brings, how it can blind you. If you fall to it's temptation, you might not want to stop.

I sighed.

Oh... look at me. Taking advice from a demon. I'm sorry, Blight.

It's fine. But... there is one thing I can do.

W-what is it?

I can allow you to summon weapons or things with my rot-sand.

My heart leaped.

R-really?

...yes. But... I implore you. Do not use them unless absolutely necessary. Everything they touch will slowly die. Except for you.

I thought about it for a second.

S-So... I can... absorb life with them? I can... feel that way?

Uh... yes. But... don't abuse of it. Don't go on a rampage. Darkness might find out, and if he does, all of your friends will be in danger.

I nodded to myself.

I promise.

Then extend your hand. What weapon do you want?

A... a sword. A rapier.

Very well.

I extended my hand. The sun had already set, and it looked pale in the moonlight. I waited for a while. Then dust began to extend from the center of my chest, trailing down my shoulder and arm, caressing my skin as it went. It pooled on my hand, forming a dark cloud.

Then, it began to move, molding to the shape of my hand, making it as comfortable as possible. It whirled here and there, forming the hilt, then the handguard, and lastly the long slender blade. The sands pieced it together molecule by molecule, creating a beautifully adorned light-grey sword.

I gasped breathlessly. It was lighter than any tool or weapon Simon had forged, and it felt so right in my hand. Warm, thrumming with life. I swung and it whistled, cutting through the air effortlessly. I played with the blade for a few minutes, a bright smile on my face.

Do you like it?

I love it, Blight.

I'm glad. It will vanish shortly after you let go, but I can bring it back whenever you like.

Thank you.

I planted it on the stone and watched closely. Sure enough, after a few seconds, it began to crumble and turn to dust once again. I looked up at the moon.

We should head back.

You're right. Your friends might be worried.

I nodded to myself and stood up. I took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh, crisp air. Then I warped back to my room.

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Author's Notes.

So, eh... what do you guys think? I decided against adding Theridas's POV this time cuz the chapter would end up being too long.

Also, oh noes! Eba is turning to the dark(ish) side!

Also also, yay! Kaitlin's awake!

Anywho, thank you all so much for your time and support, have a great day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	32. Predicament

Author's Notes

This is kind of a short and awkward one... Hope you enjoy!

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Simon's POV

After everyone had introduced themselves, we brought Kaitlin back inside. Valory and Lila got to making her some clothes almost immediately. We had dinner, but Eba didn't show up. I knew Iza felt horrible, thinking that it was because of her that our resident endergirl didn't show.

Kaitlin just sat there, staring at the steak I cooked for her. She ate the bread, grimacing a little, but didn't touch anything else. Not even the dandelion salad. Thomas spoke up after a while.

"Why don't you eat your food, Kait?" The Blaze girl looked at him with a frown.

"I don't know what this is. Don't you have quartz? And... better bread? I think yours went bad."

I shook my head. "Couldn't have gone bad. It's freshly baked. And no, we don't have quartz here. Sorry."

Kaitlin's head drooped a little. Jack, who was sitting next to her, leaned in. "I can help you, if you want. May I?"

He gestured to the steak on Kaitlin's plate. The Blaze girl nodded and Jack began to cut it up into slices. Once he was done, he pierced one plus a few vegetables with a fork and extended it out to her. The Blaze girl gingerly took the offering and brought it to her mouth. She nibbled it slowly before closing her eyes. Then she started eating it up.

"There, you see? This stuff isn't so bad, right?" Kaitlin nodded but didn't speak. She was too busy devouring her meal. I saw leaned into me.

"That's because Simon is the best cook to ever exist." Valory laughed and Sarah smiled. She replied with a mouthful of food;

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that." Everyone broke into a laugh, even Kaitlin. Simon put his left hand on my shoulder, hugging me close, before placing a kiss on the top of my head. I blushed and giggled, hugging him by the waist. We all continued talking until Thomas called lights out.

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Iza's POV

Simon and I were still holding each other close as he brought me to my room. It's right next to his, which is in the corner of the second floor. He opened the door for me and we walked in, sitting down on the bed. He leaned in and kissed me softly. I let go of him just enough to go up to the door and lock it.

Simon was already fiddling with something, putting plates and bits together. He looked frustrated. I sat down next to him and planted a big kiss on his cheek. He put the gizmo away and turned to face me, putting his hand on my cheek and pulling me towards him.

I closed my eyes and felt his lips brush mine, teasing. I threw my arms around his neck and pressed against him. I could feel my blush as well as his, warm and comforting. He began rubbing my back with one hand while the other held me by the hip. I inched closer.

I loved the feeling of him. The warmth and gentleness of everything he did. I parted my lips and he did the same. We stretched the kiss for as long as possible. We were panting by the time we stopped, sweating lightly. Simon pressed his forehead against mine as he caught his breath. I felt heat building up beneath my belly.

He passed one hand over my exposed arm. He pulled his hand away after a moment, examining it. "That's... odd. It's sticky." I blushed furiously and looked away.

"Um... m-my people... secrete... some stuff... w-when we sweat... and are... aroused... it's... sticky... and gross..." He rubbed his fingers together and a little green ball formed.

"On the contrary. It's... pretty cool." I knew there was one more word which he didn't use. I could see it on his face. Kinky. "So you're... aroused?" I flinched. This is so awkward! Why didn't I keep my mouth closed?

"Uh... y-yes..." I was practically sitting on his lap at this point. So I got off, putting some distant between us. Then I noticed something. Or the lack of. "You... you're not?"

He turned away, embarrassed. "I'm trying hard not to, believe me." I had read plenty of... forbidden material, but I didn't know much about the subject. Still, it hurt a little that he was holding himself back. I drifted further away from him.

"B-but... why? D-Don't you like me?" He smiled and put his hand on mine.

"No, Z. I don't like you. I love you. But... we're still seventeen. I may not live in a clan anymore, but it still feels wrong. Do you... get what I'm saying?" I nodded. It felt reassuring to hear that he loved me, but now I had a situation to deal with.

"I understand, Simon. Sorry."

"Sorry? For what? For being aroused? I'm... flattered beyond belief, and you shouldn't feel sorry for something so natural. Okay?"

I looked at my hands and mumbled an 'okay'. He leaned in an kissed me, making the heat flare up. I opened my mouth and moaned into his. He chuckled a little and caressed my hair. Then he pulled back.

"Um... I may not be willing to... Y'know. But I could help you with your... predicament, if you want."

He blushed as he spoke. The sight was so cute... but I declined. I had to. "N-no... this is... I have to deal with this myself. So please... go away, Simon." He nodded and stood up. I could tell my words had hurt him, and that he bottled up his emotions again. He opened the door and walked out.

"Goodnight, Iza. Love you." He closed the door gently and I could hear him walk to his room. I sighed and started undoing my belt, biting my bottom lip.

This is so unfair...

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Eba's POV

When I warped outside my room, I noticed that Simon's door was open. I peeked inside but found no-one. I looked out the window, searching for him. He was there, sitting on a fallen log outside the house, just staring at the sky. There were no mobs bothering him.

What is he doing there?

I think there's something more... interesting over here.

What?

There's a... weird smell coming from the slime girl's room. Don't go in.

Huh?

Yeah, just... don't go in. You wouldn't like it.

I... um... Okay.

I walked over to my own room and walked in, closing the door behind me. I threw myself onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. I fell asleep soon afterwards, tired from Blight's memories, and happy with myself.

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Time Leap: Next morning. Eba's POV

Everyone was downstairs waiting for Sarah to finish breakfast. Simon seemed kind of tired, and Iza looked quite... chill? Just like, very well rested, I guess. They looked a little uncomfortable, as if unsure of what to do around each other. Simon put his hand over Iza's, but she flinched. Then she put a hand on his shoulder and he flinched.

It was... weird. Interesting. Their little dance made Lila giggle. "You two look like you suddenly woke up on the same bed without knowing each other."

Simon excused himself and left the house. Iza stared after him with her mouth agape before hurrying behind him. That shut Lila up and we continued to eat. The whole house felt awkward and tense. I finished my mutton and warped away after thanking Sarah and putting my dish in the kitchen.

So... are you gonna teach me how to use my sword?

Yes. Wait for a second.

I felt Blight's rot-sand move down my arm and I looked. It was trailing down onto the floor and snaking a few feet away, forming something on the grass. After a while, I realized what he was trying to make. It took almost twenty minutes, but Blight managed to materialize himself in front of me.

"There. That'll make this much easier."

I stared at him in shock. "I... y-you... how... you're here. And not... in my head." He chuckled and rubbed his arm.

"Not exactly. I made myself a temporary vessel. It's as close as I can get to exist outside of your mind." I nodded and he took a step closer. He left grey footprints on the ground where the grass withered away.

"Now... try to summon your sword. You can choose a specific move to make whenever you want it. For example... pretend that you are drawing it from it's sheath." I nodded again and looked at my side.

There was obviously nothing there, but I pretended to hold the 'sheath' steady as I 'drew my sword'. I grasped the air and felt something tough and familiar. I let go, but there was nothing there. I tried again, this time pulling it all the way out. The rapier materialized in front of my eyes as if being drawn from an invisible holster.

I waved it in the air. Blight smiled. "Good! That will be a quick way for you to draw the weapon. Try to put it back, then draw it again."

I did, the sword disappearing and reappearing. I giggled. "That's so awesome!"

Blight chuckled. "It is, isn't it? Now, let's try some sparring." I turned to look at him as he summoned a sword with a curved blade. It scared me.

"W-will you... hurt me?"

"No. And you won't be able to hurt me. Our weapons will desintegrate as we hit each other. Say, I 'cut' your arm. The sword will go right through you."

"Oh... okay..."

We took a few steps back. I swung the sword, testing it. Then I thrust forward, feeling it pierce the air. It felt powerfulI. "Okay. I'm ready." Blight gave me a devilish grin.

"Good."

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Theridas's POV

I wandered the halls of the nether-fortress, running a few errands for Darkness. Monsul had finished the sword, and the king had left for a few hours. He had returned with a gleeful expression. "Tell the Blacksmith that he did a good job with my sword. Give him these." He summoned a few gems that fell to the floor. I bowed.

"Yes, my lord."

"And tell the cook to prepare a banquet. I'm starving."

"Of course, sir."

Now I was supposed to get one of the maids to clean his throne room. I checked up on Ella every time I passed my room. She still didn't eat much, but at least she looked a little happier. She still cried, which was understandable. However, her tears hardened and crusted on the floor, which was not very pleasant.

Darkness had ordered some of his monsters to build a massive nether portal from obsidian he made with the soul sand. It was almost finished, and I got an idea. I did my job, sending a maid over to Darkness, and walked to Monsul's quarters.

I knocked on the door and entered. He was examining some of the gems and cutting them down. "Hello, Monsul." He nodded but didn't look up.

"Aye, teridus. How's thins?" I locked the door and walked closer.

"Uh... not very good. I need your help." He raised an eyebrow and put down the emerald he was working on.

"Whut is it?"

"Eh... do you remember Ella? Donny and Reba's kid?"

"Yeah. I've met dem once or twice before. Why?

"Well... I was good friends with them, so Ella knew where to find me, and now she's in my room, and I-"

The large man raised his hand. "Woah, hold on a minute. Wus? Und why's their kid in your room?" I sighed.

"Darkness... destroyed the glowstone fortress." The blacksmiths eyes grew wide, then angry.

"See? Ah told you! Ah told you it wus a bad ahdea to give dat demon such a powerful sword!" I raised my hand.

"He took it down long before he attacked us. It takes almost a week to travel from here to the glowstone fortress. And Ella made the trip by herself." Monsul at down.

"Hm. So whut do ye want me to do, eh?"

"I want you fo help me and Ella escape. Darkness's monsters are building a portal to the overworld, so i thought that maybe she and I could leave that way. She's not safe here."

Monsul raised an eyebrow. "Whut could happ'n to her?"

"What couldn't?"

"Hm... yer right. I'll try to help you. Maybe ah could make you two a set of armor like dem monsters have." I sighed.

"Thank you so much, Monsul."

"Don't thenk me yet. Ah haven't done anythin', after all. Bring me a set of armor und you guys' measurements. Den Ah'll see Whut ah cun do."

I nodded and left the room hurriedly. Soon Ella and I would be able to leave this cursed place once and for all.

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Hurried Author's Notes

Ahh, my IPad's gonna die! Better post this quick!

Thankyousomuchforyourtimeandsupporthaveaniceday!

~ LeMarfiaKurb


	33. Ideas

Author's Notes

Right. Back to work...

GiggiEba, The pen name thing may or may not have been accidentally intentional. :)

ThinMintE, sorry to burst your bubble (again) but Ella is not the Ghast princess. She is the daughter of two of the Ghast Queen's servants...

Thank you so much for your reviews, guys! You two have been the reason that I got this far. Again, thank you! :D

Anywho, let's get on with the story!

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Thomas's POV

We had a lot of free time recently. There was really not much to do.

We were good on wood and metal, as well as stone. Lila and Valory had made everyone at least four different sets of clothes, even Kaitlin. She was wearing jeans and a red tank-top right now. The farm was going okay, and the house was mostly finished. We just needed to build the little underground 'lab' Simon and I wanted.

Our stock of food was still almost full. We figured out that Valory had been feeding Nightshade raw steak that was left in the storage shed. That would need expanding soon too...

Sarah and I tried to take some time away from each other. We weren't mad or anything. Quite the contrary. Once, on the lake, we had been talking. And then kissing. Then full-blown making out on the shore. Things got very lewd pretty fast. Thankfully, I stubbed my foot on a stone before it got out of hand. Hence why we needed time alone.

But, in hindsight, that wasn't the smartest choice. We promised ourselves three days withought making out or being alone together. We didn't even make it past two days before Sarah cornered me outside and kissed me drunk. Definitely not a good idea.

So now we were explaining to Lila and Adrian our predicament. Sarah was quiet for the most part, a light blush tainting her fair skin. "So, eh... if you guys could... supervise us... that'd be great." Adrian blinked and Lila broke into a hearty laugh. I cringed back in my chair.

After a while, Lila spoke. "S-So... what you're saying is that you guys don't want to end up fucking out here in the wild, and you need someone to stop you if things get out of hand." I nodded, and she giggled again.

"I-I'm Sorry, this-... this is just too good!... ah, can't believe you two!" Sarah grimaced.

"Will you help or not?" Adrian raised his hand. I smiled.

"You don't have to do that, man. Just speak."

"Okay. I'll agree to it, but here's the thing. If you really can't spend time away from each other, then this could be more harmful than you think." I blinked.

"How?"

"Well, I can tell that when you aren't together, you spend time just staring at nothing. Deep in thought, probably thinking of each other. You might hurt someone, or get hurt yourselves." I nodded slowly.

"So... what do we do? There's... no way out."

Lila's eyes perked up. "How about a fight?" We all stared at her in shock. Well, Sarah stared with her poker face, but I could tell she was shocked.

"I don't mean a real fight, I meant kind of like the water ballon war. But with wooden weapons and such. Like sparring, but in teams."

We thought about for a second. Sarah nodded. "I'd like that. We could even make faux arrows with cloth and wool." The four of us stood up and walked out, wanting to share Lila's idea with everyone.

Simon and Iza were crouched around a metal gizmo on the grass, poking it here and there. Eba was by herself just staring at the sky with a glazed-over look in her eyes. Valory and Kaitlin were playing with Nightshade. Jack was messing with his knife while leaning on the fence that Eba set around the farmland almost a month ago.

I whistled to get everyone's attention. They stopped what they were doing and gathered around. I explained to then what we wanted to do, and everyone got exited. Even Eba, who I thought would be one to back down. We immediately started swapping ideas, talking over each other.

"We could build an arena-"

"-place wooden structures to hide behind-"

"-wooden weapons and such-"

"-reward?"

"Mutton!"

"-arrows-"

"-can't use your knives!"

"That's unfair!"

"Woah, wait, hold up! One by one, okay? Simon, you start." He seemed lost in the clouds as he spoke, his hands tucked in his hoodie pockets.

"We could make simple structures with wood- walls, little castles and such."

We agreed on that idea. I turned to Valory. "What about you?" She smiled.

"We could have some sort of reward for the winning team. And no throwing knives!" Lila looked indignified.

"But that's my primary method of combat!"

Adrian spoke up. "We could make padded armor. With cloth and wool. That way, Lila could use dull wooden throwing knives." Again, everyone thought that was a good idea. We went around until everyone spoke:

"Eba?"

"T-the reward that Valory was talking about... could be mutton?" Everyone smiled, and that made the endergirl look flustered.

"Of course, Eba. Lila?"

"Traps. Like, Val and I could make some snare-things with our string, and we could use those."

"Okay... I think. Everyone agree?" The gang nodded. "Right. Iza?"

"We should set down some rules and niches.. I'm... not much of a fighter, so I could be a combat medic or something." Jack spoke up.

"That sounds like a great idea! Sarah and I would be archers, Val and Lila would be trappers, Thomas and Adrian would be brawlers, Simon and Iza would be medics while Eba and Kaitlin would be 'wildcards'." The Blaze girl looked a bit confused.

"Wait, so what are we doing? Fighting?"

"Nnno... not exactly. Pretend fighting. So that means no fire." Jack looked intrigued.

"Fire?" Kaitlin nodded and lifted a hand, summoning a small flame on her open palm. Everyone looked amazed by this trick. Kait was loving the attention, making shapes with her little fireball.

"Right. Now, Jack? Ideas?"

The stray nodded. "We need to make wooden weapons for this. Also, would it count as cheating if Sarah and I used our personal bows?" I shook my head.

"No, it's fine. You guys can use them." Jack nodded again. I turned to Kaitlin.

"Ideas?" The Blaze princess nodded.

"If I can't use my fire, could I throw like, bunches of leaves or something? Little cloth balls or whatever?" Valory nodded.

"Lila and I could make some for you."

"And Sarah?" She thought for a second.

"Jack's right, we have two of each kind of fighter. The teams should consist of one from each type. But... wouldn't Simon be a wildcard too?"

The creeper raised his eyebrow. "Come again?" Sarah smiled.

"I mean, you absolutely wrecked us last time we fought you. Y'know, with all your 'commando tactics' and gizmos and such?" He nodded slowly. He answered after a while.

"But then we'd be missing a medic." Iza spoke up.

"Remember I said combat medic. This means Simon and I can still fight, but we could also get taken out." Everyone nodded in agreement. I clapped my hands together.

"Great! Well prepare everything today and the event will be hosted tomorrow!" We heard a hiss behind us.

"Khan ay plei tooo?" We turned to find Ara wandering towards us. Simon smiled.

"Of course! You could be the referee or something. The person that dictates when someone is cheating, and starts slash stops the game."

The creeper beamed. "Thhhaank yooo!" We laughed at her pronunciation of the words. I didn't know when Simon found time to teach the creeper English, but it was really coming along.

Soon, we began the production of weapons and structures. Simon was... pretty much in charge of everything. He designed the weapons on Eba's sketchbook (he made sure not to look at any drawings as per Eba's request) and instructed us on how to build the structures.

Adrian and Valory cut down some trees while Jack and I cleared space on the plains, flattening out grass and dirt on a large rectangular area. Lila, Sarah, Eba, Iza, and Kaitlin were making the structures and weapons. Simon was explaining to Ara what we were going to do, hissing softly.

It took us all afternoon, but it was definitely worth it. The girls had made; two broadswords, five shortswords, two dozen throwing knives, a 'spear', a rapier, and lots of wooden walls. And two 'castles'.

Valory and Lila made the armor with the help of Sarah as well. After Simon's talk with Ara, he walked into the storage shed. After like twenty minutes, he came out with a grey ball that had a fuse on it. He walked up to me and smiled. "Smoke bomb."

He snapped his fingers to light it and then he threw it towards the woods. It rolled to a stop maybe five yards away, and smoke began to bellow from multiple holes in the bomb's shell. I nodded.

"Impressive."

"I know. Should I give some to the other guys?" I looked around.

"Do we have the teams set up yet?"

"No."

"Then please do. I'd rather not be on the side that has a technological disadvantage."

The creeper boy grinned. "Sure." Then he walked over to Valory and Lila.

I sighed and stared at the sun which was setting on the mountain-framed horizon. Sarah walked up to me and rested her head against my shoulder. I smiled at her and she smiled back. We stood that way until the sun sank beneath the mountains and the valley went dark, enjoying the simplicity of each other's company.

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Theridas's POV

I hurried back to the Throne room with a report from the Argonaut Commander for Darkness. He had summoned four 'high ranking commanding officers' to lead his army into battle.

He spawned monsters with specific traits and armors for each division: Argonauts (basic infantry as in zombie pigmen and skeletons), Necronauts (Endermen, whither skeletons, spiders) Poisonauts (Cave spiders, strays, husk warriors) and Demonauts (creepers, ghasts, blazes).

My plan was to hide with Ella among the Demonauts, as we both fit into that category somewhat. I had 'borrowed' the armor off a monster and given it to Monsul. Now we had to wait for the blacksmith to make armor that suited us.

I walked into Darkness's throne room, still open-air and brightly lit. He had ordered some of his monsters to extract the soul sand from every nook and cranny in the nether. The demon spent his days gorging himself or summoning monsters, never closing his eyes for longer than a second.

He was still summoning monsters, so I waited for a second while he finished. Once Darkness was done, he turned to face me.

"Ah, Theridas! How are my armies?" I bowed.

"Very well, my lord. I've returned with a report from your Argonaut division."

"Then report away." He sat down on his nether brick throne and leaned back against it.

"There are currently 937 Zombie Pigman warriors, as well as 986 Skeleton archers."

"Good, very good! I'll be able to siege the clans soon. How about my other divisions?"

"W-Wait a second, sir. I'm not finished with the report." He narrowed his eyes a little.

"Then finish it."

"W-Well, the Commander would like to appoint ten captains for ease of leadership. Each captain would be in charge of 99 soldiers." Darkness smiled and nodded.

"A swell idea. Go tell him that he has permission to do so. Now, about the rest of my armies..."

"Y-yes. There are 893 Endermen, 912 Wither skeletons, and 1000 spiders for the Necronaut division. The Poisonaut division has 720 Cave spiders, 847 strays and 966 Husks. The Demonaut division has 1000 creepers, 758 Ghasts, and 903 Blazes."

The demon clapped his hands. "Marvelous! Go tell each division to choose ten captains for their patrols of 99 monsters. I have more spawning to do." I bowed again.

"Yes, my lord."

Then I left the room, heading towards the exit. I took a small detour to check up on Ella. I knocked on the door and heard a rustle on the other side. Smiling, I opened the door. There was a small pile of clothes in the corner beside my small bed, quivering and breathing rapidly.

I gently closed the door and walked over to Ella. "Hey, Hey, calm down, kid. It's just me."

She slowly poked her head out from under the clothes. "Th-Theridas?" I nodded, still smiling.

"Yes, it's me. How are you holding up?" She sniffled a little and wiped some tears from her eyes.

"O-Okay I think. I'm... still having nightmares. And... you scared me." I picked her up and out from under the clothes, placing her on the bed and embracing her thin body. She was small for a seven-year old.

"Im sorry, kid. Are your nightmares still about your parents?" She wiped more tears away.

"N-no. They are... about a lot of things. And I can't remember them all."

"What was your most recent one about?"

She looked at the wall absently, her eyes glistening with tears.

"About the clans... about death." She turned to me, and a chill ran down my spine.

"About you."

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Author's POV

Ahhh finally! I've finally finished the chapter! And I'm happyyyyyyy...! :'D

But! There's always a but... I think that I found why it took so long. The story's like... summary? The info page? It says the story's about adventure and romance. So far, we've had plenty of adventure (I think), and some romance.

And there lies the (*holding back a laugh and smiling*) Core of the Problem. Get it? Cuz it's the name of a chapter... :)

Moving on... the romance aspect is the main issue. It seems to 'cloud my judgement'. So, from this moment on, I'll try to stay away from it and stick to the adventure side of the story.

Also, i have written a third story, again completely separate from KOW. I'll post the first chapter after this goes up. Just... FYI.

Anywho, thank you all for your time, patience, and support. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	34. The Game

Author's Notes

ThinMintE, I'm glad I didn't. I was exited to write the brawl, actually. Hope it lives up to your hopes! :D

ZombiesGuy115, CDs? And I've never played modded Minecraft. So I'm not sure about which weapons are in tinkerer's construct. So... my story takes a few dozen liberties (i.e, nothing's blocky, gravity exists fully, clans, demons, etc.). :s

Anywho, let's get on with the story!

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Eba's POV

Everyone had gone to sleep except me. Blight insisted on training more before the game.

You're going to give them one hell of a shock.

I know! I can't wait to see their faces!

You forgot to ask Thomas if warping was allowed.

I won't warp. It would be less surprising if I did.

Hm... true.

So, in the middle of the night, I warped to the clearing where Blight and I always trained. He appeared in front of me and drew his sword.

"Are you ready?" I answered with a confident smile.

"Of course."

We sparred the night away, and I beat him every single time. He sat down on the grass, panting. I was breathing heavily too, but not as much.

"You... you're getting better..."

"I... have a great teacher..."

My demon smiled. We rested for a few minutes before he stood up.

"How about this; we try on multiple targets."

I looked at him slightly confused.

"How? There's only two of us." Blight grinned again.

"You seem to forget I can summon things with my rot-sand." He stood up and more of the strange material caressed my skin, trailing down my arms towards him. Two more Blights appeared on each side of the 'original'. The three of them looked less defined.

"These are my shadows. I can summon up to seven of them, but they'll become weaker the more that exist. This is how we'll train."

I stood up and drew my rapier. A few nights ago, Blight suggested that I give it a name. 'Needle-point', I answered. Now the thin blade of the sword had it's name carved into it. "Okay. Im ready."

My demon smiled widely, and all three shadows grinned too. "No, you're not."

Then they all dashed at me.

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Simon's POV

I woke up extremely exited. In fact, I was so exited, that I dashed downstairs and made breakfast before anyone else was up. I woke up Iza and Eba with my racket, and they both walked downstairs. Iza looked slightly disheveled, but the endergirl looked fine. Giddy, even.

"Hey, girls! How'd you sleep?" Iza sat down unceremoniously and mumbled.

"Mmmkay..." Eba simply nodded and sat down besides Iza. I walked over with their plates and served them some water. I kissed Iza's cheek and gave her a brief hug. The slime girl brightened up and began eating.

The rest of the guys trudged down, awoken by the smell of breakfast. We all ate and then walked out side. The spiders were carrying all the armor while Adrian, Jack and Thomas brought the structures. We placed them down on the area they cleared out.

Thomas whistled. "Okay, guys? Everyone aware of what we are doing?" We all nodded.

"Okay. Eh... take off your hoodies, or sweaters or cloaks or whatever so the padded armor isn't uncomfortable."

I took off my creeper hoodie, and my unkempt hair stuck out at odd angles. Iza giggled and began to play with a tuft of it. Thomas cleared his throat and continued.

"The armor has pictures and colors on the front. I'm sure you guys can figure out that they mean and who they belong to." We nodded again. "Okay. Weapons. Jack, Sarah, come get a shortsword from the pile. You can keep your bows, but need to use these padded arrows."

The skeleton cousins picked up their gear, a shortsword, a set of armor and a quiver with cloth-tipped arrows. The chestplates had a light blue square with an arrow drawn inside it.

"Valory and Lila." The spider sisters walked forwards and picked up their stuff: Val had a doubleheaded spear with dull ends. Valory picked up two pouches with a dozen knives inside. Their armor had a black square with a red cobweb drawn on it.

"Iza and Simon." We stepped forwards and picked up shortswords. We also got bags filled with clean sand which we would use as 'healing dust'. Our armor had a green square with a white cross inside it.

"Eba and Kaitlin." The Blaze princess and the endergirl walked up to the pile of stuff and picked out their weapons. Kaitlin's had a large bag of cloth balls which she would use as fireballs. Eba picked out her wooden rapier, which seemed like a weapon too aggressive for her. Their armor had a purple square with a red question mark.

"Lastly, Adrian and I." Thomas and the wither skeleton got their stuff: two broadswords, a wooden shield and the armor. It had a red square with a blue sword in the center.

"There. Let's choose teams. Who, eh... who's in charge of that?" I smiled and pointed at the house. Ara was walking towards us from that direction.

"Ara's the moderator. She gets to choose." They nodded and we waited for our creeper friend to arrive.

"Hhhhey gaisss." We all smiled and waved at her. I stepped closer and hissed her instructions. Then I turned back to the rest of the guys with a thumbs-up.

"All good! Ara, choose away." The creeper walked over to where the gear had been.

"Teeem won. Thomasss... Layla... Eba... Jack... Izzza. Teeem too. Aydrian... Valory... Sssarah... Kaytlin... Sssimon." We all nodded and got into our groups. I walked into the storage shed and dragged out two boxes. One was filled with 'snares' while the other had smoke bombs.

I picked out half a dozen and stuffed them in my dynamite holsters. They didn't fit perfectly since their shells are round and not cylindrical like the sticks of tnt. The spiders picked up snares, shoving the stick frames in their pockets. Valory also picked out a few smoke bombs.

Thomas clapped his hands. "Is everyone ready?" We all shouted excitedly. "Then move to your sides of the battlefield!" I followed our team leader, Adrian, to our little castle. There was a distance of maybe thirty yards between us and the other team.

Adrian had us gather around. "What's our strategy?" Valory spoke up before Sarah could retort.

"I can set up snares in the most direct routes to the castle. That way, they can't capture it and we have sitting duck targets." Adrian nodded. Sarah smiled.

"We have an advantage of speed. Simon's the fastest of us, no doubt about that. Jack's favorite gimmick is firing two arrows at once, but it has disadvantages. He's less accurate and fires slower, while I'm more accurate and faster. I'm pretty sure Adrian is faster than Thomas. I don't know about you two, though."

The skeleton gestured to Kaitlin and Valory. They didn't seem offended in any way.

"I'm slower than Lila, and she's the better fighter. But we have air support." She whistled and Nightshade swooped down from the sky. The Phantom perched itself on Val's shoulder, chirping quietly. The spider caressed the undead flyer's head.

"I can set up snares while Nightshade keeps watch. She can also drop smoke bombs on the battlefield. And I'm sure the others won't shoot her." Adrian nodded. Kaitlin waited quietly for Valory to finish.

"My mother insisted on having me participate in races. I may not be the fastest, but I can certainly outrun most people." She was tossing up a cloth ball and catching it. "I'm also a great shot. Unless I get nervous or scared. Then everything goes out the window."

Adrian chuckled. Then he turned to me, raising an eyebrow. I smiled and held up one of the black balls with fuses. "Smoke Bomb."

We all laughed and heard a 'ready!' from the other side. Adrian shouted back his own 'ready', and we heard Ara speak at the top of her lungs.

"Threee! Tooo! Won! Play!" I smiled and dashed forward, already holding a bomb in my hand. Val whistled again, and Nightshade chirped as she took off towards the sky. Sarah and Kaitlin stayed at the castle, and Adrian was trailing behind me.

I lit and tossed the harmless black ball, watching as it sailed through the sky and landed somewhere in the middle of the battlefield.

This'll be fun.

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Eba's POV

We had all agreed that the other team would be faster, so Thomas had us hold our ground, setting up defenses around our castle. I was itching to go out, but I stayed put like I was told. Blight was feeding me all sorts of weird information.

Lila is the fastest of you. She should be out there, destroying them.

What about me? I'm a good fighter too!

Yes, that's why you need to stay back and hold this position. If you get yourself taken out, the rest of the team will be defenseless.

Aww, but-

Listen to me. I can feel the other team' slice-force. Hear their beating heart. I can tell you where they are before they even realize you're there.

Isn't that cheating?

Not if I only use it to warn you.

Oh. Okay.

We waited. Almost immediately after Ara began the game, someone tossed a smoke grenade. Iza smiled. "That's Simon." Lila was setting up snares here and there, while Jack kept his eyes trained on the field and his bow ready.

After some time, we heard a surprised yelp. Everyone tensed up, and we saw Lila returning with a sad little frown. "They showed up out of nowhere! And they have Nightshade up in the air."

We nodded and Lila left the field. After a while, a smoke-screen began to rise from the ground, blocking our view of everything. I started panicking, but then a cool haze flashed in front of my eyes.

Calm down. It's alright. Focus.

Okay.

I watched a small arrow of rot-sand appear in front of my face, moving from left to right.

Someone's close.

Thanks for the tip.

I drew my wooden rapier and waited. The arrow grew bigger by the second, and soon it stopped right in front of me. A smoke bomb flew in from inside the dark cloud, rolling underneath me.

Sidestep, now!

I swiftly moved to the left, watching as a wooden blade swooped at me from the smoke. I stepped back and watched Simon run forwards. Jack fired at him, but the creeper blocked one arrow with the sword while he dodged the other one.

Thomas had his weapon ready, and he swung downward hoping to catch the rogue creeper. Simon dropped to the ground and slid beside him, dodging the blow and tapping Thomas in the back with his sword.

Iza 'eeped' as Simon stopped in front of her, stealing a kis before taking her out and running back into the smoke. Jack and I just stood there stupefied.

Eba! Move! Go get him!

I nodded to myself and ran into the smoke. The structures are 6 and a half feet tall to conceal us, so it was like running into a maze. I caught glimpses of Simon's green armor.

Adrian appeared from behind a structure, already swinging at me. I parried every attack and thrust my weapon forward. I took him out with a smile. Out of the blue, Valory dashed at me with her spear. Again, I blocked all of her attacks, stepping back every so often.

Jack showed up behind me, taking out Val. Both her and the wither skeleton looked stunned. Arrows began to rain from a few yards away, and both Jack and I took cover. Another smoke bomb landed at our feet, and I dashed away to another position.

I heard Jack grunt and then curse. He walked out of the smoke with his hands up and left the field.

Last one standing.

Indeed. Where's the Blaze girl?

Probably at their castle.

The rot-sand arrow shifted in front of me, and I watched Sarah peek around the corner of the structure with her bow drawn, looking in the opposite direction. Quietly, I rounded the wall and tapped her from behind with my sword. She looked at me with surprise plain in her eyes, mouth a small 'o'.

I giggled and dashed away, headed to their base. I saw Simon a few more times, always running beside me and then disappearing. When I got to the castle, a cloth ball hit the wall beside me. I took cover.

Knew it.

Do you have a smoke bomb?

No.

Then run. Try to get to her before she can hit you.

Alright.

I dashed forward, skillfully knocking the balls away with the blade of my sword. Kaitlin looked absolutely terrified and I tapped her chest before she could run.

This is fun!

Simon's still at large. Find him.

Will do.

I stood up and walked calmly into the battlefield. Simon was still running from here to there, trying to psych me out. If it weren't for Blight, I would probably be panicking. I stood in the center, waiting. Simon stepped out from behind a wall, hands in his pockets.

"Hey, Eba."

"Hi Simon."

We stared at each other for a while, not doing anything.

Something's off.

Agreed. He must be plotting something.

After some time, I drew my sword. The creeper boy simply smiled.

"You're gonna take me out just like that?"

"You took out half my team in the blink of an eye!"

"I gave you some time. And I didn't revive my teammates. I think that's fair.

"How is that fair?"

"You're not being swarmed by five people."

"I could've taken you all on!"

The creeper pulled out a smoke bomb. "Oh, I don't think so." He lit the fuse and ran into the maze. I chased after him, much to Blight's dismay.

What are you doing? It's a trap! Don't follow him!

It'll be fine. I can take him.

My demon grumbled and 'sat back'. I chased after Simon, using the smoke trail from his bomb as a guide. He turned here and there, zig-zagging around without stopping. I pushed myself to go faster. Then something caught my foot and I fell.

I looked at my feet, and saw that one of the snares had caught me. I frantically began to pull on the string, hoping to untangle myself. I did the opposite, tightening the snare around me. The smoke cleared, and I saw Simon just staring at me with a smug grin in his eyes.

Told you.

Help me up!

I can't. He'll see me.

Aw, but...

He stepped closer, knocking my sword away from me. The creeper boy kneeled to my level and stared at me. I squirmed under his gaze. Simon smiled and took out a knife. I opened my eyes and a breathless gasp escaped me.

"No, no, it's okay. I'll help you out, Eba, it's fine."

He cut the wires to the snare and helped me to my feet. "I didn't mean for you to get caught in that. I almost did myself." I nodded and wiped some dirt off my pants.

"Okay. Now what?"

"I think we should call it a draw and restart." I smiled at him.

"Agreed. And this time, we'll beat you guys." Simon smiled back.

"I'd like to see you try."

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Theridas's POV

I wandered the hallways of the nether fortress, making sure everything was spotless as per Darkness's request. Yesterday's conversation with Ella still replayed in my mind.

"About the clans... about death. About you." I hugged the young girl.

"Don't worry, child. Sometimes... sometimes dreams are just dreams." She wiped tears from her eyes.

"But it felt so real. You... you fell. And nobody caught you."

"Ella, nothing will happen to either one of us. We'll be okay once we leave go to the overworld. Okay?" The girl sniffled.

"O-okay. Will you... will you save her?"

"Who?"

"The Queen."

I had managed to put the little Ghast girl to sleep with difficulty, but she didn't wake. Now I walked down, towards the dungeon. Where Darkness had imprisoned lady Anastasia. I didn't know if he fed her, so I brought with me a satchel with quartz and nether-wart bread.

There were a few lifeless skeletons in some of the cells, the rest where empty. Except for one.

Lady Anastasia was a grimy mess in the corner of her cell, breathing irregularly. She heard my approach and cringed back in fear, protecting her face with one hand.

"D-Don't... stay away... don't hurt my daughter..." It broke my heart to see her like this. I walked up to the bars and spoke softly.

"It's me, my lady. It's me, Theridas, your loyal servant." She moved her hand and stared at me.

"Th-Theridas? Is it... really you?"

"Yes, my lady. It's me. I've brought you some food." Her eyes lit up and she crawled over to me. I passed the satchel through the bars and she opened it. She began to shovel the meal into her mouth. Upon closer inspection, I could tell that she had gotten alarmingly thin. And her skin was much too pale.

After she was finished, the ex-Queen sat back against the wall.

"Th-Thank you, Theridas."

"Anything, my lady."

"Do... do you know... where my daughter is?"

"No. I'm sorry, madame."

"B-but... she hasn't been captured? Darkness didn't find her?"

"I do not think so, ma'am. I'm pretty sure she managed to flee."

Her tired orange eyes were filled with tears of relief. I searched through my pockets and found the key to her cell. She eyed me curiously as I opened the lock.

"Come on, my lady. We're leaving to the overworld tonight."

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Author's Notes

This one is very much what I've been wanting my chapters to be. Very little romance, lot's of fun and suspense/mystery. 3k words long. Yay! :D

I hope you guys enjoyed it. I don't like asking for this, but please. If you have the time, follow and favorite. Pretty please? :3

Anywho, Thank you for your time and support. Have a great day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	35. Love (Plenty of it)

Author's Notes

Alright, so uh... I didn't upload a chapter yesterday because of a trip my family took to go visit some relatives. However, I'll have more free time now to work on these chapters. Anywho, Reviews!

ThinMint (is it okay if I don't add the E?), I'm glad that you liked the chapter! Thank you for your support!

GiggiEba, thank you. Much thank you, in fact. :D

Anywho, let's get on with the story!

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Valory's POV

After an entire afternoon of playing, we were all tired. Except for Simon and Eba. They were always the last ones standing. Every. Single. Damn. Game!

Those two are the most skillful warriors I have ever seen. I mean, Simon spent an entire year in the wilderness by himself (or so he tells us), so I kind of get it. But Eba? The cute, shy, mutton-loving endergirl???

Simon got to cooking dinner, making a feast with all sorts of meats, a salad which consisted of dandelion with apple slices, and freshly baked bread in all sorts of shapes.

We were all stuffing our faces and laughing with each other. The house was filled with so many different smells. The delicious ones from all the food Simon was cooking, plus the smell of sweat and grass. We needed to have the windows and doors open because of all the smoke coming from the kitchen as well.

Ara had only stayed for the game, saying that she needed to do something. We said our goodbyes (Simon hissed his), and the creeper wandered back into the woods. The whole house had an aura of happiness.

Thomas picked out all the apple slices from the salad bowl and only ate that. This ticked off Sarah, and she shoveled a bunch of salad into Thomas's plate. The guy feigned dismay, and Sarah gave him a pointed look.

It felt so calm and peaceful in here, with everybody happy and tired. We went to bed a few hours later than we should've, but by then we were all half asleep anyway. Our two couples actually shared rooms, Simon going off with Iza and Thomas with Sarah.

Lila snickered and whispered in my ear (I had to lean down a little); "let's hope they don't keep us awake all night." I slapped her arm lightly and she snickered again. I opened my door and walked in, closing it behind me. I took off my turtleneck and threw it on top of my night stand.

All the rooms had two torches that provided all the light. I blew them out and flopped onto the bed. My window was always left open in case Nightshade wanted to come inside. I whistled for her, and my phantom flew in. She landed on the bed beside me, chirping and hopping closer.

I caressed her scaly cloth-covered head. Her sharp little talons made holes on my mattress. She inched closer and 'sat down' in the crook of my neck. Phantoms where very much like birds, except they were undead and didn't have beaks. I rubbed her back and she nuzzled my neck.

Nightshade rubbed up against my neck, enjoying my warmth. I felt a sudden urge to protect her, so I placed my arm around her cold scaly body. She chirped again, and I kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Nightshade. And I'll love you till the end of times. My widdle phantom giwl."

She chirped again and closed her fluorescent green eyes with double pupils. I sighed happily, and fell asleep minutes later.

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Sarah's POV

I sat on the edge of the bed and began taking off my boots. Thomas was gazing out the window, staring at the moon in wonder. While he was distracted, I took the liberty of changing into my night clothes. Contrary to popular belief, nothing 'hot' was going to happen.

I took off my shorts and pulled on my soft wool pants. Thomas was still busy so I quickly changed out of my leather shirt, the one Valory had made me, and pulled on a long-sleeved cloth one. I walked barefoot towards him and tapped his shoulder.

He slowly turned towards me, not taking his eyes off the moon for a split second. I smiled at him and he smiled too. He embraced me and I hugged him back. Then he took me by the hand and lead me to the bed. We decided to make everyone new beds, bigger and more comfortable.

I pulled a blanket over us and Thomas spooned me, nuzzling my neck and kissing my cheek. I giggled, and felt him smile. "Did you have fun?" I turned to face him.

"Lots. But I'm betting Eba and Simon enjoyed themselves the most." He laughed quietly.

"True. So nobody won any of the rounds, then." I shook my head and kissed him, pulling away after a second.

"I guess not." He chuckled at my response. We heard a thump from one of the rooms downstairs. We stayed quiet and heard a giggle as well as Simon's 'ow'. Thomas and I laughed quietly, trying to not wake anyone.

We got comfortable and I kissed him gently. "I love you, Tom." He smiled, and I saw that strange flash of gold in his eyes.

"I love you too, Sarah." I turned around and let him spoon me. Just as we were drifting off into sleep, a second thump and a 'lords dammit...' came from downstairs along with another giggle.

Life was good.

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Simon's POV

I entered Iza's room and began to take off my hoodie. The slime girl arranged her pillows so there was room for me. She liked pillows, and slept practically buried in them. I hung my hoodie in her dresser. Thomas and I had made one for every room, a large wooden piece of furniture with drawers for underwear and space to hang clothes.

I had taken all my gear off before beginning dinner. The only thing I never took off was my hoodie and goggles. Both were special to me. Now, since it was night-time and I was with Iza, my goggles came off. I stared at the amber-colored glass and metal rim.

Memories flooded me, and the bottle where I kept my emotions threatened to burst. I breathed deeply and put the goggles in my hoodie's pockets. Iza stared timidly at me from the corner of the room holding some clothes. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"What's wrong?"

She smiled shyly and blushed. "I-I want to change into my night clothes, Simon. A-And it's kind of embarrassing to do so with you here..." I blinked and smiled.

"Sorry, Z. I'll, uh... I'll just stand in the corner." I turned around and waited. After a few seconds, my curiosity got the better of me and I peeked. She was inches from my face, a bright smile on her lips.

Her proximity made me jump, and I hit my head on the wall. Iza giggled.

"Ow. What's the big idea?"

"I had already changed, silly. Just wanted to see how perverted you were."

"I'm not perverted! Just... morbidly curious, perhaps." She giggled again. I loved the fluttery sound, one of the few things that made me feel truly happy.

"Oh, you think I'm funny, do you? Well, laugh at this!" I quickly walked behind her and tickled her sides. She giggled more, and began to crumble into a ball on the floor. I kept tickling, alternating from her sides to her neck.

"S... sto-op! He... he, Simon! Stop I-it!" I smiled.

"Never!"

"Ha, ha! Quit it! C-can't... cant breathe! He, ha-ha! Simon!"

"Okay, Okay, I'll stop." She caught her breath after a while and sat up.

"Help me up?"

I bent down to help her, and she knocked me over with a push. I hit the floor with a thud, but it didn't hurt. She giggled, and I feigned frustration. "Lords dammit... I've fallen for your tricks once again."

She smiled and crawled onto my chest. We were almost the same height (5'9 to 5'8ish), but she looked so small and cute just resting on top of me. I caressed her head and ran my fingers through her dark-brown hair. I could feel her heart beat, thumping to the rhythm of mine.

After a while, I began to worry that she had fallen asleep like that, so I stopped playing with her hair. She looked up sleepily. "What's wrong?" I smiled.

"Nothing's wrong, Z. Just thought the bed might be more comfortable than my chest." She snuggled closer, sighing happily.

"The bed doesn't smell like you. It doesn't breathe. And I can't feel it's heart beating, or it's fingers running through my hair. No, I think you are much more comfortable." My smile widened and I rubbed her cheek.

"Well, you might be comfortable, but I'm still on the floor. Tell you what, if you let me get up and onto the bed, you can use me as a pillow for the next three days." She looked up, interested and smiling lightly.

"Make it five and we've got a deal."

"Done." She giggled and reluctantly sat up. I stretched my limbs and hopped to my feet. I rearranged some pillows so Iza would be sleeping on top of them and her neck wouldn't hurt in the morning. I patted the pillows and she crawled onto the bed, laying down in the same fashion as before.

I closed my eyes and sighed happily, rubbing her back and caressing her hair. She fell asleep a few minutes later, and I followed suit shortly after. My last thought sailed through my mind before darkness enveloped me.

My friend, my love, and my muse.

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Theridas's POV

I stuffed a pack full of extra clothes and food. Ella was sitting on the corner of the bed talking quietly with lady Anastasia. The ex-Queen looked weak and tired, but still smiled at Ella's jokes and followed the conversation.

Monsul had finished the armor, and I put it on to try and blend in. We didn't have time for the blacksmith to make a set for lady Anastasia, so we would have to be quick. The armor consisted of a dark cloak that was just short of floor-length, and metal parts that were a brighter shade of maroon.

Once everything was ready, I approached The former queen.

"My lady, are you Ready?"

"Yes Theridas. I want to find my daughter."

"And find them we shall, my queen. But, uh... might take some time. You're just going to have to bear with me. Darkness finished the portal a few hours ago, and is about to give a speech to his troops. We are going to sneak into the ranks and go through the portal with them."

Ella and lady Anastasia nodded. "Alright. Good. Uh... we're going to climb out the window so nobody sees us, okay?" They nodded again. I put on the red helmet and climbed onto the windowsill. It was difficult with the armor, but I managed.

Once the three of us were outside, I lead them towards the flat area where darkness had built his nether portal. His entire Argonaut division was already there, standing to attention.

The monsters that stood here may look intimidating, but they wouldn't act on their own accord. We would be safe among them. We sneaked into their ranks, waiting for Darkness to finish his speech and send us through.

"...mentus occation! We are about to invade the overworld, where I will become ruler of every realm! There are six clans situated there, filled with cowards who quake behind their meek warriors.

We will destroy them, and burn their houses to the ground! Tear down their walls and castles, slay every last one of them! Then, I will travel to the End realm, and kill their precious enderdragon! Without their beloved guardian, no spirit or demon will ever be able to defeat me!"

The warriors cheered, and I felt shivers run down my spine. Kill the what dragon? Burn their houses down? I stared forwards worriedly, feeling my companions shift. I turned and looked at Ella.

The young Ghast girl held lady Anastasia's hand tightly, but no tears fell down her face. I stood straight once again. I must be brave. If not for them, then for myself.

"Now, my warriors! Onwards!" Darkness's roar caused the soldiers to shout triumphantly, and we began to move. The general stood beside Darkness, calling out his captains and troops.

"Patrol one! Move!" The patrol captain grunted, then he and his men stepped through the purple sheen of the portal. "Patrol two! Move!" We kept walking. So far so good.

We were almost there, one more patrol and we'd be out of the nether. Out of my home. Away from everything I've ever known. "Patrol Six! Move!" The Patrol in front of us stepped through the portal, and we walked up to it.

I could just barely make out green shapes on the other side, waving along with the portal. "Patrol seven!" This is it.

The general didn't say another word. Darkness stepped forward, overlooking the remaining troops.

"Captains! Arrest Theridas and ex-Queen Anastasia. Then bring them to me."

A knot appeared in my throat, and fear rose deep in my belly. Lords no.

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Author's Notes

Ah! I'm sorry I posted this so late! I'll try to work on that, I promise! :d

I don't want to spoil anything, so, eh...

Thank you all so much for your time and support. Have an awesome day! (Cuz you'll probably be reading this in the day) :D

~ LeMafiaKreb


	36. Almost Fucked It Up

Shocked Author's Notes

Ho-ly shit! Are you telling me that 60ish people read the new chapter in the middle of the night??? 60?!? Geez! I mean... it is very much flattering. Thank you guys for the support!

ThinMint, I think I'll stick to ThinMint (though I did like MintE). And I can't really respond to the rest of the review without giving anything away, so...

On with the story!

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Simon's POV

Thin ray of sunshine was filtering through a tiny crack in the wall, and it just so happened to land on my eyeball. I woke up placed my hand over it to protect it from that pesky little ray.

Iza had, at one point, sprawled all over the bed. Her head was below my chin still resting on my chest, her torso on my stomach and every limb pointed at a different direction. It made me smile despite my throbbing eye.

I slowly and carefully slid out from under her, replacing myself with pillows. Once I was out, I quietly moved over to the dresser and opened it. I took down my hoodie and threw it on, pulling my goggles out of it's pockets and onto my face.

Iza stirred, and I watched her closely. Like a cat, she hugged the pillow her head was under and nuzzled it. I chuckled quietly. Iza was just so cute when she slept. Did she do that to me, do you reckon? Did she nuzzle me as we slept? Suddenly I wanted to sneak back under her.

I got closer, and Iza opened an eye slowly. She blinked (winked?) sleepily and made a show of rubbing her pretty face against the pillow. I smiled at her and chuckled. She stopped and looked me in the eye with a smug expression.

"Only you can make me jealous of a pillow, Z", I muttered. The slime girl giggled, and hugged the object in question tighter.

"That's what you get for leaving so soon. I'll be the one that tell you when you leave, okay?" I feigned indignation. It always makes her giggle when I do that sort of thing.

"But that was not part of the deal, fair lady!" She giggled, just as expected, and my heart felt a million times lighter. The pain in my eye was forgotten.

"Well then, good sir, you should have read the fine print before agreeing." I laughed quietly and bent down on top of her. She stare at me with such an innocent and loving smile...

I leaned closer and kissed her soft lips. She kissed me back almost immediately, and I got an idea. How about I torture you, now... darling. I used one elbow to hold myself up while my other arm trailed from her shoulder down to her thighs. Iza was holding my head close with her arms, not realizing my intentions.

I let my hand 'accidentally' come close to her nether regions, and she gasped.

'S-Simon! Wh-what are you- mmph!" I silenced her with a fierce kiss and continued to gently rub her side, staying as far away from her private area as possible. The arm I was using to stay up was playing with her spruce-colored hair, combing it with my fingers.

After a while, one of her hands began to rub my back, going as far down as she could. I smiled into our kiss. Everything is falling in place, my love. You're gonna hate me after this. My moving hand had begun inching closer to her bust, but still stayed away from the other 'problem area'.

We stopped to breath every now and then, but Iza would just pull me back onto her afterwards. My hand finally reached the side of her bosom, and I slid a single finger against it.

I don't know much about women's eh... private size things or whatever. I don't know how or why people measure them. All I know is Iza has good sized uh... those for her body's proportions.

She was kissing me more hungrily now, and would soon be moaning into my mouth. Her hand moved from my back to my wrist, and she guided it to her left breast. I was stunned, and she smiled. There was a bright blush decorating her pale cheeks.

"Go on. They won't bite." Her attitude was very much surprising. I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew... I gave them a tiny and uncertain squeeze, to which she responded with a frown.

"Hey. I thought you wanted this. Changed your mind about... Y'know." A mischievous smile played at the ends of her lips, and it made me all the more frightened. Definitely bit off more than I could chew. I hadn't changed my mind at all, as I still believed that 'sexual intercourse before the age of 18' was very much wrong.

Still, I got myself into this. If I'm going to go through with it, might as well make her beg for something I would not give her. Oh, she's really gonna hate me now... I squeezed harder, but not by much. Iza encouraging smile felt really odd.

"That's it! Keep going. Please?" I smiled at her, and decided that if I let my emotions roam, they would get the better of me. Staring through blank eyes, I continued to tease Iza's body.

Little touches here and there, more squeezing and kneading, but my hand never actually touched her *ahem* uh... entrance. She was moaning quietly now, trying to muffle the sound with kisses or pillows. I've got you right where I want you, dear.

Then, I stopped all together and backed off. She stared at me in surprise, and I smiled. "W-what? S-Simon, why did you stop? I... I thought you wanted me." She was sweating that strange slime stuff, just like last time, and I scooped some off her arm.

"I do. Very much. But I didn't change my mind. And besides, you deserve it because of everything you did with the pillow. Might make you think twice about cheating on me."

Her blush deepened. Then she shut her eyes and she threw one of the soft squares at me. "I hate you, I hate you! You are so mean!" I laughed and escaped the room, making sure no pillows flew out.

"Sorry, Z! All's fair in love and war!" I heard a dull thump against the door.

"I'll get you, Simon! Just you wait!" Her voice gave away the fact that she one; enjoyed the experience, two; thought it was maybe a tiny bit funny, and three; she still loved me, which was the most important thing.

I walked downstairs happily. Almost fucked it up then. Whew.

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Time leap: 6 hours later. Eba's POV

Blight and I were training in the same clearing where we always did. This time, I was against three shadows.

I dashed forwards, my Needle-point trailing behind me. The three shadows swung down one by one, right after the other. I parried the first two and then swiftly blocked the third.

They were relentless, but I was much faster. On and on they swung, and yet I still managed to block them. I went for the opening that Blight always seems to have when swinging. With a single well-timed thrust I pierced one of the shadows, and it turned into dust.

Now that there was less of them, I could 'relax'. It felt great to fight, made me feel proud of how good I became. Once I was bored I thrust my rapier at them, one by one with such speed that blight couldn't even try to step back.

Blight remorphed himself properly. He was breathing heavily, but his eyes were full of pride and joy. "W-well... well done, Eba. You... you've gotten much better."

I smiled and put my sword away. "Thanks. I enjoy our sparring lessons." Blight gave me a breathless smile.

"I'm glad... I enjoy them too... it's been years since I had a proper fight." I walked up to him and gave my demon a hug. For a few seconds he just sort of stood there, unsure of what to do. Then he shakily hugged me back.

"I'm not... used to your affection, Eba." I smiled and backed off a little.

"And I'm not used to yours. I guess that makes us even." He smiled again and his vessel desintegrated.

Ah. Now I don't have to worry about needing to breathe.

Why do you give your vessel lungs if you don't need to breathe?

Because then the vessel would die. It needs a brain, a heart, lungs, and a skeletal structure. Everything else is unnecessary.

Oh. Okay, then.

I wandered back towards the house. Everyone would generally start to worry after a few hours. It felt nice to know someone worried about me.

I wonder if my parents ever worried about me.

Judging from your memories, I highly doubt that. They behave more like demons than I do.

Yeah... I sighed out loud. They weren't the most loving.

That's an understatement.

Please, Blight, I don't want to talk about it.

I can respect that.

I liked walking instead of warping everywhere. Warping was an exhausting activity. I don't know how some enderpeople do it so often. There was a familiar itching on the top of my head, and I groaned.

What is it?

Endermites.

Those pesky snippers? I'll deal with them, if you like.

Please do.

I felt some of Blight's rot-sand crawl up my chest and neck, then it flooded my head. I heard some crunching and a few tiny shrieks. After a few seconds, the rot-sand left my head feeling refreshed. I sighed in relief.

Thank you.

crunch*... welcome... *crunch*

Ew, gross! Blight!

crunch*... yesh? *crunch*

How can you eat those things??? They're parasites!

crunch*... tashty parashitesh. I'm a demon, what did you exshpect? *crunch*

I didn't expect you to eat them!

crunch*... well, I can't really eat much elshe. *crunch*... Besides, so what if I like the tashte? It'sh not like I complain about you eating fruitsh or saladsh just 'cause I can't eat them. *crunch*

Just... don't make so much noise! It's so... unsettling.

crunch*... I'll try. *gnorff*

Ugh, don't do that either!

What, now I can't bite or swallow them whole? What next, I won't even be able to nibble their tasty heads?

Oh, lords, gross! Just... ugh! Don't make a sound!

Fine. *nyom*... how about that? *nyom* Jusht little bitesh?

That's better, but please... don't ever make any of those sounds again.

Yup.

I shuddered and continued walking. It was truly unsettling to hear Blight crunching up what is essentially mutant head lice. Just... ugh.

Dear lords, I hate my demon so much some times.

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Theridas's POV

We had no time.

The warriors from the Argonaut ranks immediately reached out to grab us. I pushed lady Anastasia and Ella forward, towards the nether portal. The little girl almost tripped, but the ex-queen held her hand tightly. I followed close behind, running like a frightened rabbit.

We crossed onto the overworld, but now was no time to gaze at anything. The soldiers from the patrols that had already crossed weren't moving. I guess they didn't hear Darkness's orders through the nether portal. Or maybe they just haven't realized we're here.

I turned to the I'll-looking woman and the Ghast girl. Her description of one of her nightmares came crawling back, and it made me feel even more skittish. The little kid had round eyes, and tears were pooling inside them. The ex-queen looked exhausted.

I turned back to the nether portal, where the monsters were already stepping through. I looked back at lady Anastasia and Ella. "You... need to run. I'll hold them back for as long as I can. Go!"

I summoned a small fireball in my hand, and lady Anastasia grasped my forearm. Tightly. I stared at her in surprise. There was determination and stubbornness in her amber eyes.

"You are not leaving me stranded in a foreign world with a little girl, Theridas! If we run, you are running with us!" I blinked then nodded, still in shock. Lady Anastasia ran with Ella trailing behind her. I threw one poorly aimed fireball at the soldiers before following suit.

We ran like the devil was chasing us... wait... he actually was. Shit. Well, we ran very fast, heading towards a forest on the edge of the moor where the portal had left us. Even throughout my panic, the beauty of the world bathed me in colors.

There is so much here... trees, grass, flowers, the sky... so green. Peaceful. If only 300 odd warriors weren't out for our blood...

Arrows began to fly, and I cursed silently. I had forgotten about the archers. My panic rising, I removed my helmet and placed it on lady Anastasia's head. I tried to shield Ella with my body. The arrows weren't that accurate, which probably meant the skeletons were gunning on the run.

I risked a look back and was met with a whistling blade swinging down inches from my face. I gave an embarrassing shriek and ran faster, pushing the others forwards. Lady Anastasia was slowing down, obviously exhausted. Ella too.

Oh, lords dammit, come on! There's... there's got to be somewhere for us to hide!

I almost tripped on a stone, but managed to keep my balance and speed. The monsters were gaining on us. Shitshitshitshitshit... come on!

I picked Ella up off the ground and held her in my arms, willing the ex-Queen to run faster. We entered the forest at last, and I felt a surge of hope run through me.

I looked over my shoulder again, and noticed the warriors were cutting down the trees before stepping forwards. It will take them time before reaching us. Relief flooded me, and I slowed down. Lady Anastasia was gasping for breath.

I put Ella down and helped the ex-queen. "Come on, my lady. We need to keep moving. The woods will not protect us for long." The tired blaze nodded and we continued walking.

Ella kept tripping on roots and fallen branches, but the unnerving sound of metal on wood kept us moving. After a while, we found a deep-looking cave entrance. I felt even more relieved, and ushered the others inside. We trudged on through the darkness, a small flame on lady Anastasia's hand our only light source.

After a while, we came upon a fork in the tunnels. Ella walked to the one on the right withought hesitation, so Lady Anastasia and I followed. It took us deeper before beginning a slow climb upwards. On and on we walked, the sounds from the forest having faded long ago.

Then, we rounded a corner and found a cave entrance. We could see another stretch of moor, as far as the eye could see. A long grey smudge stood proudly in the distance. I smiled doubly and fell to my knees.

"We... we made it. We're out." Lady Anastasia was panting heavily, but she smiled. Ella was staring at the rolling hills with pure and raw wonder.

"Yes... we did."

I sat back against the cold stone wall, shuddering. "I-it May be b-beautiful, but it sure is cold."

Lady Anastasia nodded, the smile still on her lips. "Yes, That too."

I rubbed my arms, creating friction and heat. Ella walked up to me and sat down by my side. She was shivering lightly, so I held her small body to my chest.the queen crawled up to us and sat beside Ella, leaning against me.

I enjoyed our combined warmth, happy to be alive. "Theridas?" I looked down at Ella's wide crimson eyes. There was a tiny smile on her lips. "You didn't die." I smiled.

"No, I didnt. See? I told you some dreams were just dreams." She nodded and snuggled closer. My eyelids began to droop, and I noticed that Lady Anastasia was already asleep.

"But... *yawn*... where was the fall? And the fire? The masses of warriors?" I blinked, suddenly unable to drift off. I stared at the young girl, but she had her eyes closed. I wondered if she even spoke. Maybe I imagined it.

I looked back out, and stared at the colorful green moor. There were animals and plants everywhere. Some where grazing while others stalked, and a few stray monsters wandered under the leaves of short pale trees. I breathed in deeply, then exhaled.

We are safe now. And that is all that matters. Soon, we will reach the clans. We could warn them of Darkness's invasion. They might take us in, protect lady Anastasia and Ella. The lords know I can't. But I'll try anyway.

Determination flooded my veins, filling me with strength. I will protect them. I'll make sure nothing harms either one. Nothing, and no one. I stared at the roof of the cave, as if that alone would melt it and allow me to see the sky in all it's glory.

And I'll keep doing so until my star fades.

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Author's Notes

Ah, I had forgotten how great it felt to write a chapter. And how exhausting it was...

I hope everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing! This one pushed up to almost 3k words, and that is something to be proud of. :D

Thank you all for your undying support, Have an awesome (rest of the) day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	37. Cracks

Author's Notes

Ah!

I'm sorry! I completely forgot about this chapter! I had been so busy, and just hadn't had time to finish it, please forgive meeeee!

ahem* uh... Reviews!

ThinMint, thank you so much for your support! Again, I can't really respond to much of the review without spilling the beans one way or another. :I You're just too perceptive.

GiggiEba, I'm glad you liked it! Trust me, Iza will get her revenge. And perhaps take it a bit too far... also, thank you for not saying anything if you already had an idea of what was going to happen. :)

And thank you to everyone who reads the story! I hope you guys have enjoyed it so far! :D

Anywho, on with the story!

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Darkness's POV

I waited impatiently on my throne. Every soldier from the Argonaut division was already on the overworld waiting for my command. One of the captains had approached me earlier. "Sir! We lost royal servant Theridas and ex-queen Anastasia in the woods." I frowned at him.

"Captain, what's the use of having a massive army if they are the most incompetent pieces of shit that can't even catch a blaze, a child, and a sick old lady?!?" The monster didn't flinch, it just saluted again and left.

So here I was waiting for the other divisions to walk through the portal. Half of the Poisonaut division was already there, but the Necronauts and Demonauts were still missing troops. I continued summoning monsters, but it was tiring work.

I knew that the blacksmith must have been the one to make the armor Theridas wore, but he was still necessary. His death would come later. And that little Ghast girl that was with them... It seems that some of those gunslingers are still around. No point in slaying them, though. I could use more 'workers'.

I stared at the portal from one of the throne room's windows. Just three more patrols left. I sighed and stood up. The journey to the portal was very soothing, what with all the monsters and servants running willy nilly.

Once there, I noticed the first patrol of the Necronaut division was just about to step through. I walked up to my general. He saluted me before barking at the soldiers.

"Necronaut Division! Are you ready?" The monsters roared, and I nodded. "Patrol one! Move!" The first 100 soldiers walked through the fragile portal. I smiled.

"How long until all of the divisions are through, general?"

"Approximately 6 days, my lord. Perhaps more." I nodded. It takes time to properly mobilize nine thousand units. Especially since most of those units are slow to begin with.

I looked on, my mind wandering off. Soon, brother. We'll meet once again, but this time, I will be victorious. I have an army. What about you? I smiled in satisfaction.

Your friends will not be enough, brother. Your days are coming to an end.

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Thoma's POV

But We'll fight anyway, until our last breath.

I stopped. The log that I had been dragging fell to the ground. What? Where did that come from? Eba and Adrian were helping me move the wood from one side of the plains back home. Simon had gotten an amazing idea everyone was exited for. Everyone but Iza.

The slime girl didn't seem as attached to Simon anymore, but nobody asked about it. After all, those two keep things to themselves most of the time. They probably wouldn't tell us anything. The creeper boy was playing with a sticky green ball while he explained to us what the plan was.

"You know how we've been mining metal from the lake, right?" We all nodded. "Well, that is coming to an end. The metal deposits are now depleted, and we would have to do some dangerous stunts to get at the deeper ones. So, why don't we look for metal in the mountains?"

Everyone just stared at him. There was a long stick in his hand, and he used it to draw on the dirt. "We obviously won't be able to climb the whole mountain -someone might get hurt- but what if we flew up to it?"

Using the stick, Simon traced an oval shape on the dirt, as well as half an oval beneath it. Then he connected the two with lines in certain pints. "We could use cloth or leather to make a large ballon, and create an airship." We looked on as he added details to the design, as well as little notes.

-Rudder, -Rope, Balloon-, -Steering wheel, -Propeller, Anchor-, Hull-

There were arrows pointing from the words to their specific parts. Simon continued explaining.

"The main problem with this airship would be weight. The heavier we make it, the bigger the balloon has to be. But... we can get around that if we use large furnaces to pump hot air into the balloon." He drew a square under the oval.

"Birch is lighter than oak, so we should use that for the hull. However, oak is probably our best choice of material for the rudder and propeller, seeing as they are the most important parts of the airship. Since it is more durable and stronger, it will do a much better job.

Also, we're going to need some metal for the anchor. And mechanisms. I can build them out of wood, but they could rot and would need changing more often."

So now we are stuck with gathering birch, and sewing together a large balloon. But hey, everyone seems happy with getting an airship. Except for Iza. The random thought still puzzled me. We'll fight 'til our last breath? A shudder ran down my spine, and I heard a different voice in my head

Good. Then at least We'll have some fun.

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Simon's POV

I was helping the spiders and Sarah sew up the balloon needed for the airship. Iza had been very distant since my stunt, and I'm beginning to think that I did fuck it up. She had tried to knock down every argument I had for getting the airship, but I always won.

And she wasn't helping much either. Honestly, her attitude kind of hurt. But it would hurt a lot more if I wasn't so exited for the airship. There were so many Ideas in my head, but before I could use any of them, we would need redstone and metal. So this first one would be like an experimental recon ship more than anything.

I continued explaining to everyone how it would work as I stitched two pieces of cloth.

"We would need a secondary furnace which would power the propeller, and provide horizontal thrust. The rudder and propeller would be controlled by the wheel and some lever systems. The anchor would have a string chain hung by a winch on the inside of the hull."

Iza stared at us from the house's main doorway, leaning against it with her arms crossed. "I still don't see why we need an airship. It seems like such a stupid idea."

I flinched, and tried to ignore her. The bottle where I kept my feelings spiderwebbed and cracked. Before I could answer, Valory lifted her head.

"So? It doesn't need to be useful, or even smart. Personally, I'd like to be able to fly like Nightshade. So this airship thing is very much exiting for me." I smiled at Valory, thankful for her support. She smiled back and returned to the task at hand.

We had been working for two days, and the balloon was almost finished. We still needed to build the hull, and we would require lots of metal. For nails and furnaces, as well as the workings for the propellers.

Thomas and Sarah volunteered to go mining, and Iza decided to tag along. I tried to convince them not to go, but they didn't listen. In fact, Iza looked very much happy to be leaving. The bottle cracked further, and my anger seeped out.

Fine. Go drown in lava for all I care.

As soon as I finished the thought, I mentally slapped myself. How could you think such an awful thing? You love her, for fucks sakes! ...But does she love me? I sulked around for a few minutes before sucking it up and returning to work.

Lila and Adrian were taking a break, chatting together beneath a large oak tree at the edge of the plains. We had been pushing back the forest with all our logging, and Thomas had suggested we plant some saplings so the forest grew back. For every tree we brought down, we planted three saplings.

After a few hours, the mining crew came back with a burlap sack full of metal. I congratulated them and took the sack towards my 'industrial' furnace. I began to smelt the ore almost immediately. Iza walked up to me and watched. After a while, she spoke with a very bored voice.

"How much more stuff will you need?" I decided against looking up at her.

"I'm not sure. I've never built an airship before, but this should be just about enough." Silence. After a while, Iza spoke up again. I heard footsteps and her voice became quieter with each word, meaning she was walking away.

"Well, I hope you know what you're doing. Otherwise, we just wasted a bunch of time and effort getting you that metal." My head drooped, and I suddenly felt too tired to continue. Why is she doing this? Was my little joke really that mean to her? Is she trying to blackmail me into doing what she wants?

More and more questions swirled in my head, distracting me from my task. Some of the metal spilled onto the grass and formed a pool on the scorched dirt. I stared at it through unfocused eyes.

Why is this happening?

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Theridas's POV

I woke up shivering. Despite our combined warmths, the cavern we were in was just too cold. Neither lady Anastasia nor Ella had woken up, so I stood up carefully to not disturb them. I gingerly took off the metal armor I had on. It was freezing cold, and I almost dropped it all on the floor.

Once I had placed the armor on the ground without a sound, I rummaged through my little pack I had filled with clothes and food. I munched on a piece of quartz while searching for warm things to wear. I decided to keep the cloak from the armor, as it was very warm and comfortable.

I pulled out a long-sleeved maroon shirt, a black button-up shirt, black pants and black shoes that were just a little big for me. Black is a warm color, or so I was told. I had also taken off the chainmail underarmor, and the new clothes I had on made me feel much warmer.

My companions were still sleeping soundly, so I decided to wander out for a bit. The outside was also warmer than the cave, and so green. The grass was green, the trees were green, most plants were green, the few creepers also wandering around were green.

Everything was just very green. I liked it.

There had been times in the nether-realm where I was bored of the red. Of the black and dull maroon, the few bits of white and yellow. It was just so... monotone. I had tried to brew a white potion using quartz, thinking that maybe I could use it to paint a room, maybe turn some of the reds pink for a change.

This was back when my father was still alive. He had been... as good a father as I could have hoped for. Supportive, strong, open, and there. I never met my mother. He had been a royal servant from the age of sixteen, which was about the same age when I took over the mantle. The year before his death.

Thirty-six years of being a servant. He caught the wither, the only sickness that could inhabit the nether, and died a year later. Despite our best medic's efforts, he died. I was beside him for his last moments. He smiled at me. That was another trait I loved about my dad. The world could be on fire, but he would just smile and wave.

He placed a hand on mine, and squeezed lightly. I had been crying, unable to hold back the tears. He wiped them off my cheek and cupped my chin. That smile was still on his face. "Be strong," he told me, "don't give up. You are still young, still so full of potential. Don't cry, son. May our stars cross paths once again."

I sniffled and wiped tears out of my eyes. "And May their lights brighten our darkest times." He nodded, sadness tugging at the edges of his lips.

"I love you, son."

"I love you too, dad. I'll make you so proud of me."

"Oh, son." He pulled me towards him and touched my forehead to his. Tears were running down his cheeks now too. "You already have."

I blinked tears out of my eyes. Sixteen was a very young age to loose both your parents, or so I thought. Now I have a seven-year-old orphan and a tired queen to care for. The wind buffeted my face, making my eyes itch. I summoned a fireball and played with it, giving the small flame different shapes.

I heard something behind me, so I turned around. Ella was trying to stand up without waking lady Anastasia. I smiled and waited for her to come close. She was shivering lightly too. I extinguished the flame in the palm of my hand and picked up the young Ghast girl. She snuggled close to me and stopped shivering.

Darkness had destroyed the Glowstone Fortress, home of the Ghast queen and her servants. Ella's parents had been there, but Ella herself wasn't. She had to watch the fortress go down, dragging her parents into the ocean of lava with it. All nether mobs were immune to lava, but the fortress would have crushed Ella's parents.

The girl looked at me with tired eyes and smiled. I smiled back. "Theridas?"

"Yes?"

"Did you have parents?" I looked back out towards the plains.

"I had a dad."

"Was He like you?"

I turned back to her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Was He smart? And fast, and brave? And warm?"

I smiled and kissed the top of her head. Her white hair was neatly combed, and it dropped past her shoulders live a milky waterfall.

"Yeah. He was." I stared back out to the moors, and the grey wall beyond. The clans. Will we be able to reach them? It looks so far away... "And he would have done a much better job of protecting you guys."

She shook her head. "I don't think so. He isn't here." A sharp jab of pain stabbed at my heart. He isn't here.

"No, kid, he isn't. But I won't let that stop me. We'll make it to safety, just you watch."

She snuggled closer to me. "I know we will. Like you said, some dreams are just dreams." I nodded.

"And some are just nightmares."

We stared at the emerald-green moors, watching the grass wave in the wind, the trees shake with it, and the large stone wall on the horizon. We'll make it. Just you watch.

I breathed deeply and walked back to the cave. If we wanted to get there, I would need to wake up lady Anastasia. I shook the tired ex-queen lightly. She stirred and opened her eyes slowly. I smiled and extended my hand out to her.

"Come on, my Lady. We need to keep moving." She nodded and took my hand. I helped her up, and her lips pressed into a tight line. Once she was on her feet, I lead her outside. I had put Ella down, and she held my free hand. Our bag was on my shoulder. The armor I had taken off lay abandoned in the cave.

"Are you ready?" Both of them nodded, and I smiled. "Then come on. We have a long ways to go." With that, I began walking towards the looming wall in the distance. The grass was almost as high as my waist.

We'll make it. Just you watch.

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Author's Notes

There! I finished it! Yay! :D

Sorry it was late. Had been a bit busy...

Anywho, thank you all for your time and support, have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	38. So Sorry

Author's Notes

Guys! The story has hit over a thousand views! Yay!

This isn't... that big a deal, but it makes me feel proud. :)

Reviews!

ThinMint, it is in no way an annoyance. :) But, Uh, please refrain from spoiling everything for everyone else, 'Kay? Thanks. :D

This chapter is... a bit dramatic. I'm not that proud of it, but I hope you guys enjoy.

Anywho, let's get on with the story!

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Lila's POV

It seemed like we had a small problem. Usually, Simon and Izabell spent their days together, and they would both be very productive. Now, Simon spends all day sulking and fucking things up. And Iza mocks him every time. I mean, I do too, but that is just such a sudden change.

It also doesn't help much that he is our lead engineer when it comes to the fucking airship that he wanted us to build. So far, we have made the hull asymmetrical, the balloon too small, the mechanisms too complicated, and the ropes much too weak. It's just... a mess.

Adrian and I are sitting under a tree watching him (Simon, I mean) kicking the shit out of a specific grass patch. He has his 'demobelt' on, which is why we are so far away. An angry creeper is dangerous when explosives are in the vicinity.

Adrian spoke first. "Poor guy." I nodded.

"Yeah. Wonder what's happened."

"Has anyone tried to talk to him?"

"No. Val asked Iza, but she wouldn't tell her anything."

"Does this mean they aren't a couple anymore?"

"I'm not sure. Probably. Actually, that might even be the reason why Simon's been acting so-"

A sudden explosion shook the earth. There was a large crater ten meters from where Simon is standing, and he's on the floor just staring at the smoke plume.

"... volatile." Adrian nodded and stood up.

"Where are you going?" He turned around and gave me an 'isn't it obvious' look.

"To talk to him."

"Um... okay. Just be careful."

"I will, don't worry."

"I'm not worried, I just don't want to be filling up craters and shit."

"Yeah, Yeah."

I watched him get closer. It was very much worrying to see Adrian walk up to a very unstable Simon. The creeper boy stood up and pulled another red stick from his belt, examining it. Adrian called for him. Simon turned, the explosive still in his hand. I decided to get closer to hear what was going on.

"You Okay, dude?" Simon shook his head and lit the fuse with a snap of his fingers.

"Yeah, man. Never better." He held the device in his hands for a few seconds before tossing it up. The explosion went off alarmingly close to the both of them, but neither one seemed fazed by it.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Honestly? Would fucking love to." Adrian put a hand on the creeper boy's shoulder.

"Well, I'm here to help. Explain." Simon sighed.

"Like four days ago, remember, after the war thing, I decided to share a room with Iza. In the morning, I got up and she made a show of cuddling with a pillow. I decided to play along and get her back."

He sighed again. "So I teased her. Sexually. I, uh... would love to engage her in that fashion, but my parents didn't raise a rule breaker. I had told her before that I wouldn't do anything in that area until the both of us were eighteen. But she though I had changed my mind when I started teasing her. It seems like such a bad idea now."

Adrian looked a bit overwhelmed. "So, uh... you just... did that? And now she doesn't want anything to do with you?"

Simon nodded. Adrian thought it over and spoke with a gentle smile. "I think she's just trying to get you back. You won't give her what she wants, she won't give you what you want."

The creeper looked shocked. "What? That's just so... stupid! And fucking... lords! I just... can't fucking even." He stood up and stomped off, another explosive in his hands.

I walked up to Adrian, who looked even more stunned. "So How did your talking go?" He grumbled and stood up.

"We should talk to Iza. This has gone too far."

"What gave it away? The fact that-" An explosion went off in the woods, "... The fact that Iza has been treating Simon like shit or that he seems to have completely lost his sanity and will to live?"

"It's not like he's suicidal or anything..."

"He's been chucking explosives like mad!"

"Okay, it's bad. Which is why we should be talking to Iza instead of arguing about this." The wither skeleton stood up and walked towards the house. Eba warped to the main entrance looking terrified, Thomas and Sarah poked their heads out from the main doorway, Kaitlin and Val stopped playing with Nightshade and watched. Jack was probably up in his room.

Adrian walked up to Thomas. "Have you guys seen Iza?" The slime girl in question walked down the stairs with messy hair and tired eyes.

"'M here... what's with all the racket?" Adrian frowned.

"We need to have a talk, Iza. It's about Simon." She rubbed her eyes.

"Oh. What about him?" I blinked.

"What about him? The guy has complete spiraled out of control!" Right on cue, another explosion went off in the middle of the forest. She stared at me with a confused gaze.

"What?"

"Have you seriously not fucking noticed what's been going on for four days straight?!?" She walked out the door and looked around frantically.

"Is he here?"

"No. He walked into the forest and began throwing sticks of dynamite everywhere." She turned to me, her face a mask of absolute horror and her mouth a small 'o'.

"What???"

I scowled at her. "Is that all you have? You two have been together for like a month, and that's all you have to say? He just played a little prank on you, for fucks sake! You didn't need to fucking... turn comepletely against him!"

She was obviously panicking now. "B-b-but... a-all I wanted was to get back at him, I didn't-... I didn't think this would happen!"

"Well it fucking did. You need to go talk to him before he kills himself." She began breathing heavily, and her knees buckled under her. "How the hell did you not realize what you were doing?"

"I-I don't know! I just... ignored him, and went against everything he said even if it broke my heart. It just... I... I didn't think it would affect him so much! He's always been very tough, and-and just sort of... emotionless, you know? I didn't think it would hurt him like this! Whuh... what do I do?!?"

Sarah placed her hand on Iza's shoulder. She was crying now, frightened tears running down her cheeks. "Talk to him, Iza. That's all you need to do." The slime girl stared at the skeleton for a while before wiping her tears away.

"Okay. I'll... go talk to him."

She stood up and walked into the forest, where a thin trail of smoke was floating up into the sky. We watched her stumble a few times on her way to the woods, but she determinedly kept on. Valory whistled and Nightshade perched herself on Val's shoulder.

She whispered at her phantom, caressing it's scaly head. "Make sure they're both okay." Nightshade chirped and took off, flying silently towards the forest. I shook my head, talking to nobody in particular.

"Those two have some serious shit to work out."

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Iza's POV

I wandered into the forest. There was a sickening smell of smoke and ashes. I was very scared. It was just a joke... I didn't mean to upset him! Oh... how could I screw this up so hard? More and more trees showed up with broken branches and deep cuts in their trunks.

After a few moments, I found the first crater. It was not that deep, and black char carpeted most of it's surface. I walked on. The second one was much bigger, and there was a little fire in it. Worry was crawling in my belly, but I kept going.

I found him just standing in a clearing, breathing heavily and with his pants stuffed in his hoodie pockets. There was no more dynamite in his belt, and the two shortswords he had made were on the floor. His hood was drawn back. I could see his messy brown-and-black hair waving in the wind.

I timidly inched closer. "Simon?" He didn't look up.

"Go away, Iza." It hurt to hear those words, but I kept moving.

"Simon, we need to talk."

"No we don't."

"Yes we do."

"Talk about what, Iza?" He looked up at me now, his eyes glare as sharp as steel and cold as ice. His lips were curled into a grim frown. "About me being stupid? A waste of your precious fucking time and effort? An absolute waste of fucking time?"

I flinched at his words. "No, I-"

"Then what exactly is there to talk about, Izabell? What else do you have to tell me, huh? That I shouldn't have been born? That I don't deserve to breathe the same fucking air??." My tears returned, and my heart ached.

"N-no! Please, Simon, listen to me!" I walked closer to me, but he didn't budge.

"Why should I fucking listen? All you've had to tell me is a fancy way to say 'fuck you'!"

"No! I'm sorry!" I reached him, and buried my face in his chest. That smell of ash and burning clung to his hoodie. "I didn't mean any of it! I-I was just... I'm sorry!" I held him in a tight embrace. I felt like my heart had been tore open. My hands trembled, and my legs felt weak.

He stared at me with that same dreadful expression. I couldn't look up, because every time I did, my heart broke a little more. "I didn't think it would hurt you this much! I just wanted to get back at you. I... I didn't... Fuck!" I began to shake, and held on to him tighter. He still wouldn't move.

"Please... I didn't mean to hurt you like this... It was just a stupid, stupid joke. Please... please forgive me. I... I didn't... I'm so, so sorry, Simon. Please forgive me." I looked up again. His eyes had glazed over, and his mouth was no longer twisted into that frown.

I couldn't breathe. My chest felt so tight, and my vision swam with tears. After a moment, he spoke up. "Why should I believe you now? What evidence do I have that tells me you won't just do it again?" I stared at him with shock. All the air had left my lungs.

"Wh-what? You... you don't believe me?" He stared at me, his eyes filled with deep sorrow. It was much worse than his rage.

"How Can I? Iza, you turned 180 degrees. There is no way I could forgive you just like that." The realization hit me. How could I believe that he would just let bygones be bygones? How could I be so selfish thinking that if I told him it was just a joke that he would take me right back?

"I... You're right. I could keep saying I'm sorry over and over again. But it wouldn't change a thing, would it?" I stared at him through the thin veil of tears in my eyes. "No matter how many times I said it. Do... do you still love me? Just a little bit?" He gazed at me for a long time before cupping my cheek.

"I never stopped. But I won't let you back in that easy. I know it wasn't your intention to hurt me this much. However, you abolished all the trust I had in you. I hope you understand." His words sank deep. My heart throbbed heavily, and my throat felt constricted.

"I do understand. But... can I earn it? Your trust? I-If I work hard enough, will you let me love you again?" He smiled gently, and it felt like the saddest little thing.

"Of course, Iza." He hugged me back, tears welling up in his dark-green eyes. I sobbed quietly, unable to hold it back any longer. He held me tighter, and began rubbing my back.

I managed to calm myself down after a while. Simon pulled his hood back on and picked up his shortswords. I watched with red, tired eyes. He caressed my cheek and walked home. I just kept staring after him. That's all I did for a while. Then I snapped out of it and followed.

Simon waved at everyone, but didn't answer any of their questions. He just walked right by them and locked himself in his room. I wanted to do the same, but Valory stopped me.

"Did He hurt you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Val. He didn't hurt me."

"Do you need anything? Have you sorted everything out?"

"*sigh*. I'm fine. And... it's going to take a while before we get back together. I kind of ruined it."

"Don't worry, Iza. I'm sure you guys will get over this. You were made for each other."

"Thanks. But... I need to lie down. Sorry." Everyone nodded and let me through. I walked up the stairs and flopped onto my bed. I knocked all the pillows off and stared at the wooden ceiling.

My eyelids grew heavy, and I fell asleep seconds after.

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Theridas's POV

"Theridas, I'm hungryyyy!"

I sighed in frustration. We had been walking for two days, the large stone wall getting increasingly bigger. I had begun rationing our food, and Ella wasn't very happy about that. Lady Anastasia looke too tired to complain.

"I know, kid, so am I. But we need to make the food last, otherwise we won't be able to reach the clans."

"But I'm hungry!"

"Yes, we established that. I know you're hungry, The grass knows you're hungry, the entire moor knows you're hungry. But there isn't much we can do about that."

The little Ghast girl whined But didn't say anything else. We were probably around two more days away, and that filled me with hope. We're so close. Lady Anastasia wasn't doing well, and I feared that she might've caught the wither while in that awful cell Darkness had kept her in.

Occasionally, some brave villagers or mobs from the other clans would open portals into the nether. Most of them shut down when they left, but we learned plenty from their visits. There were six clans, the Zombies, the Skeletons, the Spiders, the Creepers, the Endermen, and the Slimes.

The zombies are revered medics and healers, the skeletons are fierce warriors, the spiders are clever trappers, the creepers are skilled forgers and engineers, the Endermen are creative builders and the slimes are talented miners. Their buildings are stronger, and their medicine is more advanced.

I often wondered if my dad could've been saved had a healer warped through a portal. He died from the wither six years ago, and it still hurts to think about him. So, hoping against hope, I plan on taking lady Anastasia to one of their medics. Maybe they'll be able to help her.

We walked and walked, stopping when the sun went down. I kept watch for a few hours before creating a ring of fire around us and sleeping too. I hoped that it would be enough to keep monsters away, and so far it had.

On the fourth day, we arrived. I could now see the gate, and guards standing on either side of it. There were cracks and moss growing in the old stone bricks. From afar, we could see more guards stationed on top of the wall. I walked up to the gate, now feeling every bit as tired and hungry as my companions.

"H-hello? May we... May we come in?" One of the guards, a big man with full iron armor on, pulled out a notebook and pencil.

"State your names and business."

"Theridas, royal servant from the nether-bound Blaze clan." I called the others, and gently pushed lady Anastasia forward. "Anastasia, ex-queen of the nether-bound Blaze clan." Now I picked up Ella. She had stopped complaining hours ago. "And this is Ella, from the nether-bound Ghast clan."

The guard kept nodding and taking notes. Once I was done, he looked up.

"Why are you here?"

"To warn your kings. A-and to seek refuge." The guard put away his notebook and started laughing.

"Warn our king? From what, an invasion? Who the hell would be stupid enough to attack one of the most heavily fortified cities in the realm?" Lady Anastasia spoke gently.

"Excuse me, good man, but... what city is this?"

"This here's Veridon city. The largest skeleton city and home of the king's castle." He narrowed his eyes. "So? Tell me, who would dare try to attack us?"

I swallowed but kept my voice steady. "Darkness. He is a demon that took over the nether-realm by slaughtering every monarch except for lady Anastasia. He has been summoning a monster army for a week, and is finally ready to warp them here.

The guard looked skeptical, and I suddenly wished that I had brought the monster armor with me. "Well, can't see any massive armies. You high on something?"

I blinked. "High? I don't... know what that is. I'm pretty sure we are still on level ground."

The guard laughed again. "Right, forgot you guys couldn't get drugs in the nether. We'll let you pass, but only if you can prove to be who you are."

I nodded and summoned a fireball in the palm of my hand. Lady Anastasia did the same. The guard looked at Ella, and the young girl stared back.

"I was under the impression that ghasts spit fireballs."

"That's the monster. Ghast mobs are skilled gunslingers, but Ella is still much too young to receive a weapon."

The guard shrugged. "I suppose that's fair. You may pass."

He opened the gate, and we walked through. I felt a massive weight lifted off my chest. Finally. We are safe. But, even as I thought these words, a nagging in my stomach told me that nowhere was safe anymore.

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Author's Notes

I'm not sure about this chapter. Seems a bit lack-luster to me.

Anywho, thank you all for your time and support! Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	39. We Have Liftoff!

Author's Notes

So, uh... I had some more free time to keep writing, so I did. Y'know, to wash the taste of last chapter from my mouth. :D

Reviews!

GiggiEba, well thank you for your honesty. I believe to have done better this time. :)

ThinMint, I'm glad you liked the chapter! Thank you for your continued support!

Anywho, let's get on with the story!

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Thomas's POV

Things were going a lot better now. Simon has his attention on the airship 24/7, and that means our mistake percentage dropped down to zero. We fixed the hull, made the balloon larger and ropes stronger, we built sturdier mechanisms and now have a fully built and untested airship.

According to Simon, it should be able to lift 500 kilograms of weight. I don't know how much that is, but he says it's enough to lift around six people.

"See, we need four crew members. A pilot, a navigator, and two people who tend to the furnaces. The pilot will control the airship with the help of the navigator, which will also deploy the anchor and relay messages to the people working each furnace. It will still be light enough for us to carry metal back from the mountains."

We nodded, still unsure. Simon looked around trying to hide his excitement. "So? Who's going to help me test it?" Iza immediately stood up from where she was sitting crosslegged in the grass.

"I'll go."

"Okay. We have one volunteer. Who else?"

Valory raised her hand. "I want to be the navigator."

Simon clapped his hands "Great! We need one more person."

Eba had been staring at the sky, as if lost in thought. Now she turned to look at Simon and raised her hand timidly. "I-I'll go." Simon smiled.

"Awesome. Let's fire it up!" He climbed onto the airship by the sturdy wooden ladder. Painted on the side of the craft was the word Auikyani.

'What does it mean?' We had asked. 'Explorer, in Some aincient language. Can't remember which.' We all agreed that it was a nice name even though we weren't sure of it's origin. Eba warped onto the airship, Iza and Valory climbed up the rope ladder after Simon.

Simon started dishing out orders. "Val, head to the bow. Eba, you'll be our pilot. Go to the steering wheel. Iza, you'll be handling the furnace up here. I'll deal with the one belowdecks." Eba looked overwhelmed, Val was lost and Iza just nodded.

"Uh... which way is the bow?"

"The front of the ship. That way, you get a better view of everything."

"Alright." The spider walke ddecidedly to the front, and leaned over the railing. She waved at us. Everyone on the ground waved back. Eba was still lost.

"Uh... how do I pilot?" Simon walked up to her and pointed to the steering wheel.

"There is a lever beside the steering wheel. It controls the thrust provided by the propeller. You control the rudder by turning the wheel." Eba just stared at him, more confused now.

"Wh-What?"

Simon smiled encouragingly and walked the endergirl towards the wheel. He turned the wheel and pulled on the lever. We had put the airship up on four stone pedestals so the propeller and rudder didn't get damaged.

"Look down there. Do you see the rudder? It's the large plate that waves when I turn the wheel."

Eba leaned over the edge. "I see it."

"Now do you see the large fan right above it?"

"Yes."

"That spins when the furnaces are lit and you push the lever forward. The farther you push it, the faster we'll go."

"Okay. I think I get it. How do I go up?"

"Iza will take care of that. She is in charge of the main furnace, which pumps hot air into the balloon. She can decide to add more or less, causing our altitude to change."

"Uh... so do I just tell her if I want to go up or down?"

"Exactly."

"Okay... I think I can do this."

"Of course you can! I'm going to make sure everything else is in tip-top shape."

He dashed away, going down the stairs and belowdecks. Iza was messing with the chains on the furnace. Valory had called Nightshade over and was playing with the phantom.

Simon walked back up with a sack of coal. He dropped it in front of Iza. "Alright. Start loading the furnace with coal. This chain," he pointed to one with a blue end, "pumps the hot air out. This one," he pointed to the other, red one, "pumps it into the balloon."

Iza nodded and began dumping coal into the furnace. Simon walked over to Valory. "I'll show you how to use the anchor. Come here." The creeper led her down belowdecks. After a few minutes, the anchor began to lower. Then, it slowly rose back up.

They both walked out and Valory traveled to her post. Simon breathed deeply and sighed. "Everyone ready?" The girls nodded. Iza gave him a mock salute.

"Aye aye, captain!"

"Remember, Eba's the captain. She'll tell you when we are good to go." Iza dropped her salute, obviously discouraged. Simon gave Eba a thumbs up before walking belowdecks. The endergirl hesitated for a second. An odd flash of grey passed over her magenta eyes.

"Uh... Iza? Let's... let's go up, please?" The slime girl smiled.

"Gotcha." She pulled on the red chain gently, and the balloon began to fill up. After a few minutes, it rose proudly in the air. Almost a half-hour later, the hull of the Auikyani began to groan and lifted off it's pedestals. Everybody cheered. Valory raised her hands.

"We have liftoff!" They kept rising steadily. I smiled at Sarah.

"We did it. We actually managed to build an airship." She smiled back and hugged my arm.

"Yeah, we did. Let's just hope it doesn't crash and burn." I turned back to the Auikyani, it's milky birch hull making it looking like a majestic cloud.

"Knowing the crew on board, I doubt that will happen."

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Eba's POV (On board the Auikyani)

I think that's high enough, don't you?

Have we cleared all the trees?

Ask Valory. She's your navigator.

I cleared my throat and shouted. "Val! Are we in the clear?" The spider raised an eyebrow, confused.

"In the clear of what?"

"Trees! Are we above all of them?" She gave a quick look around before nodding.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we've cleared every single one of them. The house too."

"Good. Iza, you can stop now."

The slime girl nodded and stopped feeding the balloon. After a while, we stopped rising and just hovered. I risked a peek down over the railing. Everybody looked like a small speck on the ground.

Simon walked up from belowdecks with his hoodie tied around his waist. He was sweating, but there was a beautiful and childish grin on his face. "We did it!"

We all cheered, and he turned to me. "I've stocked the propeller's furnace. All you need to do is push the lever forwards." I nodded, and gently began moving the lever. There was a mechanic groan from belowdecks, which turned into a steady thrum after a while. Valory cheered.

"We're moving! Bye guys!" She waved down at everyone. I think they waved back. Simon looked so happy.

"Push it all the way, Eba. Let's see how fast we can go." I nodded and cranked it up. The thrum of the propeller became a roar, and we began sailing through the air.

This is amazing!

I've never been this high up. I have to say, your friend's creation is very cool.

I know!

We kept sailing for a little while. The mountains kept getting closer. Valory turned to me.

"Uh, captain? How about we don't crash against one of the mountains please?" I smiled sheepishly and moved the wheel. The hull tilted a bit to the side, and we began turning. I moved it further, and the ship turned much faster.

"Should we go back? We don't have any tools to gather metal."

Simon nodded. "Yes. We'll touch down, gather tool, and come back up. I have to check on the furnace. Be right back." He dashed down. I shouted at Valory.

"Simon says we should go home! Tell me when to stop turning!" She nodded and leaned over the edge. Then, she raised her hand.

"Stop, stop stop!"

I returned the wheel to it's original position and the ship stopped turning after a while. We were still moving forwards, though.

We should slow down.

Agreed.

I pulled back on the lever until it was a quarter of the way from max to zero. We slowed down and the roar of the propeller died back to a loud thrumming. Simon walked back up. I shouted at Valory again.

"How close are we to the house?"

"Almost right on top of it. We should stop here, there's nothing that could suffer damage from our landing." I nodded and killed the engine. It slowly went still, and the only sound left was that of both furnaces burning away. I turned to Simon.

"You should probably turn the furnace off." He nodded and dashed back down. I spoke to Iza.

"Let's start our descent, shall we?" The slime girl nodded and pulled on the blue chain. The words felt more like Blight's than mine, but it didn't bother me too much. We slowly began floating down. I shouted to Val again.

"Tell me when we're close enough to the ground so we can climb up and down the rope ladder." She nodded and leaned over the railing.

"Wait... Wait... wait... okay, I think this is good." I nodded.

"Iza, stop!" The slime girl let go of the chain, and the airship slowly went back to a hover. Simon came back up.

"Are we down?"

"Yeah. Valory, could you drop the anchor?" The spider nodded and ran belowdecks. Simon walke dup to Iza.

"When the airship has landed, we need to seal the balloon so it stays afloat. Here, I'll show you how." Iza nodded and listened intently as Simon explained the procedure. Valory came back up and gave me a salute.

"Anchor's down, captain!" I smiled.

"A successful maiden voyage, don't you guys think?"

Everyone cheered, and I felt so happy at that moment.

See? You're beginning to feel more confident.

And I have you to thank.

Yes.

Thank you, Blight. For more than just helping me with my confidence. The sparring, the talks, suggestions, that time you ate the endermites off my hair. Ugh.

You're welcome, Eba.

We all got off the airship and Simon walked towards the storage shed. Thomas and Sarah walked up to me.

"What's up with him?" Sarah nodded in Simon's direction. I smiled.

"He's just very exited to go mining with the airship. His plan was to touch down so we could gather tools and supplies before heading back out to do some mountain-mining."

Thomas looked at the sky. We still had a few hours before noon. "Well, the day's still young. Mind if I tag along?"

My smile widened. "Of course! You could help Val with navigation." He nodded and gave Sarah a kiss on her forehead.

"I'll be right back."

"Stay safe, Tom. Don't do anything foolish." Her words were laced with worry, but there was a smile tugging at the edges of her lips.

"When have you known me to do something foolish?" The skeleton girl rolled her eyes.

"When don't you do something like that?" The guy laughed and walked towards Simon, who had just emerged from the storage shed. I said goodby to everyone and warped back up to the airship's birch deck.

The only thing it needs is some color.

You're right. Maybe a darker shade for the deck.

Would've looked better if you had used oak.

But then we wouldn't be able to carry as much stuff.

True.

I waited for everyone to get onboard and to their posts. Then, I gave them the biggest smile I could. "Are you ready, guys?"

"Aye Aye, captain!" I pumped a fist in the air.

"Then let's go to the mountains!"

"To the mountains!"

The ship began to rise, and jerked to a stop. I looked around scared. My moment of grandeur was gone. "What happened?"

Valory gave a nervous giggle. "I, Uh... may or may not have forgotten to raise the anchor."

Everyone broke into a laugh, and I gave the spider an encouraging smile.

What a crew. Blight's voice was tinged with humor. My smile widened.

The best crew to ever exist.

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Theridas's POV

"Remembur, no racket! And make sure your kid doesn't break anyting!"

We were following an elderly woman up the stairs of an 'apartment building'. This was the third time she mentioned both the racket and Ella. I had given up trying to explain that 1; lady Anastasia and I were not married, and 2; that Ella was not our child.

"Yes, ma'am. We promise to make no noise, and Ella won't break anything." She stopped us in front of a door on the third floor and began fiddling with a ring full of keys.

"Good. 'Cause if I catch you making noise, you'll be kicked back out to the streets!"

"Yes ma'am, we know." Lady Anastasia was carrying a sleeping Ella in her arms. We had managed to convince the woman that rented rooms to give us one. In exchange, Lady Anastasia gave her one of the gemstone rings she had with her.

The elderly woman had stared at it intently before reluctantly agreeing to give us a room. "For one month, you hear? Only a month. If you don't pay me again after that, you go back out!"

She opened the door and gestured for us to enter. It was small, but would have to do for now. Lady Anastasia gently placed Ella on the couch."Thank you again for allowing us to stay." The old lady 'hmph'd.

"Remember, one month. And no racket! Breakfast isn't free, either. So you better find some cash to pay for that if you want it. I'll only serve it from six to eight In the morning, you hear?"

I nodded again. "Thank you so much, ma'am." She handed me the key to the apartment.

"If you loose this, you get me a new one. I don't care how, but you get it, okay?"

"I won't loose it, ma'am."

"You better not. Good night or whatever." Then she slammed the door closed. I sighed and gave the apartment another look around. This main room had a couch and table, as well as two chairs. There was two adjacent rooms. I took a peek into both of them.

One was a bedroom with a single bed in the corner. There was a nightstand beside it, and an empty closet. The other room was a bathroom. In the nether, we a different style of bathroom.

We bathe in lava, since it kills most bacteria, amd don't require sinks. In fact, all nether mobs are born with an allergy to water. It doesn't kill us or anything, but our skin starts feeling very itchy and it turns red. When it comes to blazes, our flames are more subdued if our hands have recently touched water.

I walked over and sat down on a chair beside lady Anastasia. She was on the couch, her hand caressing Ella's cheek. She looked so tired...

"You need rest, my lady. Why don't you go to the bedroom?"

She yawned and nodded. "Where will you sleep, Theridas?" I looked out the window. There were so many people and buildings here, and everything was lit via torches or lamps.

"I won't just yet, my lady. I think I should go 'buy' some food. Maybe someone sells quartz or netherwart bread."

She frowned at me. "I don't think you should go out so late, Theridas. You need sleep as much as I do."

I smiled and shook my head. "But we also need food. I can sleep afterwards. Don't worry, I'll be back before you wake." She nodded after a while and walked into the bedroom. I stood up and combed my hands through my dark hair.

I took a ring of my own from my hand. It's one that was given to my father for all his years of loyal service. This one was emerald, but he had two more like it. One was diamond, and the other was topaz.

The emerald was the most expensive of the three, and it hurt to think about using it as currency. But, alas, we needed food. After another moment of hesitation, I walked over to the door and closed it behind me as I left.

It took me a few minutes to walk down all the stairs, and the old lady was on the bottom floor with a teacup in her hand. She raised an eyebrow at me. "Where do you think yer goin, huh? Left your wife with the kid, have you?" I sighed.

"She's not my wife. I need to go purchase food for the three of us."

She stirred her tea with a small, thin spoon. "Alright. Good for you. Don't loose the key."

I bowed before leaving. One would have thought that the streets would be empty so late at night, but this didn't seem to be the case. People were still walking from one place to another, seemingly unaware of the hour.

I joined the masses, wandering down the street where the apartment building was. I made sure to stick to it so I wouldn't get lost. People shoved and grumbled, some of them poked my shoulders and left without a word.

I noticed a strange sign and stopped. Los Primos Restaurant and Bar. The part that was lit up consisted of Los Primos and Bar. There was a delicious smell coming from a window that lead to an alley beside the building. I could see lots of people through the front facing windows, most of them moving erratically.

I walked in, and some of the chill from the outside left. I walked up to a man in his early twenties that was attending the bar.

"Good afternoon."

"Hey, dude. Welcome to Los Primos. My name's Ronaldo. Haven't seen you around before. New in town?"

I nodded. He had a weird accent I had never heard before. "Yes. Do... do you serve food Here?" He smiled.

"Of course! We have more variety in the morning, during restaurant hours, but we still serve some stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"We got tortas, fajitas, cochinita, and uh... Erik!" He turned and shouted down a corridor that was beside the bar. A man probably in his late twenties poked his head out.

"Que pasó?"

"To'avia hay guisados?"

"Eh... si! De conejo y champiñón."

"Órale. Gracias!" The bartender turned back to me. "And We got stew. Rabbit and mushroom." I nodded slowly. I didn't understand anything those two had said, and didn't know what any of the food was.

"Uh... what's... what's all that?"

"Well, a torta is a sandwich made with crunchy, toasted bread filled with all sorts of good stuff. Fajitas are strips of meat served with frijoles, arroz and tortillas. Cochinita is the sort of good stuff you put in a torta, but you can eat it however you want. And stew is just thick soup."

I blinked. "Uh... Okay. Uh... three... three of the bread things, please."

"Three tortas, yes sir. What kind do you want? We got cochinita, steak, grilled chicken, and vegetable. They come with mayo, some aguacate and a slice of tomato apart from the other stuff."

I was frankly overwhelmed with the amount of choices. "Uh... how about three of each? But... not vegetable." He raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with amusement. The bar was warmly lit, so I couldn't make out the color of his irises.

"You're one hungry fellow, huh?" I frowned in embarrassment.

"N-no, it's just that I have to buy food for my friends too."

"That's alright, man. I won't judge. Hell, Erik probably eats more than that by himself!"

The other man poked his head out again.

"Y ahora que quieres cabrón?"

"Nada, yo no te llamé." 'Ronaldo' turned back to me. Even the names were weird.

"So, three steak, three grilled chicken and three cochinita. Is that right?" I nodded. "That'll be 18 iron nuggets, friend." I pulled out my father's ring. I'm sorry, dad.

"Will this be enough?" Ronaldo's eyes bulged. He picked up the ring and examined it.

"Shit, bro! This thing is enough to buy the whole fucking kitchen! Well, maybe not the whole kitchen, but it certainly is more than enough." He put the ring in his pocket. "Tell you what. That'll cover your next three purchases here. How does that sound?"

"Three? As in, three more times or three more items?"

"Times, amigo. You can go wild if you want cuz this ring is very much valuable." I nodded. You have no idea. He left to the kitchen, which is down the corridor and came back a few minutes later.

"Your order is in place, friend. You can sit wherever you want while you wait." I looked around the bar. Most tables were occupied, except for one in the corner to my left.

"How about that one?" I pointed to it, and he shrugged.

"Sure. Most people don't like sitting there cuz it's too warm. The stove is right next to it through the wall." I nodded and walked over to the table. It was indeed warm, and I relished the feeling. It reminded me of home.

A woman walked up to Ronaldo and handed him an apron. She had red hair pulled up in a bun, and some rogue strands framed her face. "I'm done for tonight, Ronaldo."

"Thanks Pepper. Here's you pay. You heading home now?" Ronaldo handed the woman some shiny bits which she stuffed in her jeans pocket. As she did so, our eyes met. Hers were a lovely dark green. I looked away, feeling a blush rise on my cheeks.

"I think I'm going to have some fun first." I peeked at her out of the corner of my eye. She had undone her bun, and red curls fell down past her shoulders. She kept taking a few peeks at me as she 'whispered' to Ronaldo.

"Who's That?"

"Dunno. Didn't ask for his name. New around here, though. Bought nine tortas and payed with a gem encrusted ring."

"Really? Huh. Really digging that outfit."

"I think what you're digging is who's in it, Pep."

"Maybe you're right."

I watched her get off the barstool and walk towards me. I tensed up. She sat down in front of me with a warm and mischievous smile. "Hey handsome. What's a guy like you doing at a bar all by yourself?"

I smiled sheepishly. She had a very attractive body, but her eyes... they were mesmerizing. "I, uh... came to buy food." Her smiled widened.

"Really?"

"Uh-huh."

"What's your name?" She placed her chin in the palm of her right hand. Her red hair looked like a bright maroon, something else that made me yearn for my home.

"Th-Theridas."

"Theridas? I've never heard that one before. Where are you from?"

"Th-the nether. From the nether-bound Blaze clan."

Her eyes widened a little. "Really? My name is Pepper, and I'm from the overworld-bound creeper clan." I smiled again, and felt the blush on my cheeks deepen.

"Pepper? That's... that's a pretty name."

"Thank you." She stared at me for a while, as if analyzing my every move with deep interest. My stomach grumbled, and I let out a nervous laugh. She smiled again.

"You Really are hungry, aren't you?"

I nodded. She put her hand down and got closer. Close enough for her v-neck shirt to reveal her cleavage. "Do you have a place to sleep, Theridas?" I swallowed.

"W-Well, yes, but Uh..."

"Because you can stay with me for the night, if you want. I can rent a room upstairs." She inched closer, cornering me with a very mischievous grin. "And if you get hungry, you can always eat me out."

I blinked, feeling the blush on my face cover every square inch of my cheeks. "Eh, uh, I, um... wh-What?"

Her smile widened. I could now see lust in those gorgeous eyes, and it terrified me. "You heard me. I want to have some fun with you tonight. I've been feeling very lonely... and empty."

I swallowed. Oh, lords, what do I do??? "Uh, m-my friends, th-the food-"

"I'm sure your friends will understand if you are a bit late. Come on, Theridas." She licked her lips. She had pronounced my name in a fashion that sent a small shiver down my spine.

"Uh... I-I... I can't, uh, Pepper."

"Why not?"

"W-well, b-because... uh..."

"Come on handsome." She got even closer, and I couldn't back I to the wall any further. "I want to feel you inside me." Suddenly the corner felt much too warm.

"Uh..."

"Please?" Her gaze softened. My heart was beating a thousand times a second. When was the last time, huh? I began to argue with myself over this situation. W-Well, years, but that doesn't mean this is okay! Well why not? A beautiful woman want you. What's wrong about that? Don't you want her?

I sighed. "O-okay. You win. But my pants are staying on!"

Her wicked smile returned. "Deal." She grabbed my wrist and began pulling me up some stairs that were in the opposite wall. I swallowed. What did I get myself into???

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Author's Notes

Ah, See? This is the kind of quality content I want all my chapters to contain. Aaand it's 4K words long. Whoops! Got a bit carried away there. :D

Thank you all so much for your time and support! Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb

(P.S, Favorite, Follow and Review, please. I mean, if you've got time.)

P.P.S, I seem to use commas a lot, don't I?


	40. The Greatest Captain Ever

Author's Notes

I have written 40 chapters for this story! Yay!

Reviews!

GiggiEba, Yeah, Theridas! Get your priorities in order! :D

ThinMint, You're absolutely right! Why didn't I think of that? I'm glad you liked the chapter!

Anywho, On with the story!

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Eba's POV

Once Valory had raised the anchor, and Simon had turned on the propeller's furnace, we sailed off towards the closest mountain. It only took about an hour to get there. Thomas and Iza were the only ones without a hoodie or sweater, and they were both shivering lightly.

Iza spoke after a while, her teeth chattering despite her proximity to the main furnace. "I-it's getting... a bit chilly, d-Don't you think?"

Thomas nodded. "Hard to breathe, too."

Simon had been looking at the clouds in the sky. Now he took off his hoodie and handed it to Iza. She smiled and took it. "Th-Thank you."

She leaned in as if to give him a kiss on the cheek, but Simon turned and walked belowdecks. Iza looked disappointed, but she put on the hoodie regardless.

This is stupid.

What is?

Those two are obviously aching for each other. Why don't they just forgive and forget?

It's not that simple, Blight.

Sure it is! There is no point to this awkward little dance.

Try explaining that to them.

My demon grumbled and 'sat back'. We slowed to a stop beside a stone flat jutting from the side of the mountain. "Val! Drop the anchor!"

The spider nodded and dashed belowdecks. A few moments later, we heard the dull 'clunk' of metal against stone. Valory walked back up along with Simon. The creeper turned to me.

"I turned off the furnace."

"Good. Iza, lower us down a bit so the rope ladder reaches the ground."

The slime girl nodded and pulled on the blue chain. The airship gently began to float down. I asked Iza to stop after a short while. Thomas was the first to go down the rope ladder. Simon put on his gloves and slid down after him. I warped beside Thomas.

It was pretty chilly, even with my hoodie. Thomas had hung his pickaxe on his back with a leather sling. He drew it now, giving the air a few swings. I looked up at Val, who was bringing down the rest of the tools in a web net.

I picked mine up. It felt very top-heavy. I gave it a few test swings before getting used to it.

Very impressive forgery.

Simon made them.

Is that supposed to explain?

Well... yeah. He's a creeper. They do this stuff.

Hm.

I watched as Thomas walked over to the mountain's rocky surface. He swung down on the stone. The pick made a crack on the stone, but nothing really big. Thomas pulled the pick out and sighed.

"It's going to be a lot tougher to break this mountain stone than it is to break regular stone." Simon walked up to him, a red stick in his hand.

"We could always bring down the whole mountain." The thought terrified me. Then I noticed the mischievous glint in his eyes.

Oh, thank the lords he's only joking.

He's right, though. It would be more efficient to detonate the rock.

Yeah, and we'd detonate with it!

Not if he rigs the fuse to last long enough for everyone to get on the airship and out of the blast radius.

We are not doing that.

Fine.

Iza walked up and stood beside Thomas. She had her own pick at the ready. "It's only tougher if you mine frozen bits. We could warm up a section of this rock and it would be easier to break."

She turned to Simon. The creeper nodded and pulled out a different stick from his hoodie pockets. This one was pink, and it had a much shorter fuse. Thomas raised an eyebrow, and Simon shrugged.

"A flare. I can plant it on the stone, and it'll burn away the ice." Thomas nodded and stood aside. Simon picked away at the tough rock until he made a small crevice large enough for the flare. He planted the little stick and lit the fuse.

It's light was much brighter than any torch we had made, and a pretty pink color.

That creeper has some really convenient gizmos.

Yeah, he does.

Just like Iza had predicted, the area within a 2 meter radius began to melt away. After a while, the flare went out leaving a black piece of char in it's place. Thomas picked at the wall again, and it broke with much less difficulty.

"Awesome. Let's start mining, guys."

We all began to pick at the area the torch had melted. Iza was making much more progress than us. One would have thought that, with her thin figure, she wouldn't have been able to help much. But her arms were very strong, and she shattered the rock like it was nothing.

I could barely keep up with everyone else. Blight spoke to me.

I can help you.

Please do.

I'll share my strength. Don't go wild, though. Your friends might get suspicious.

I won't.

My arms felt much stronger, and my heartbeat slowed down. It became so much easier to mine away at the rock wall. Soon, the dull thumps of metal on stone turned into sharp clangs. Valory had stopped to take a break, and she smiled at us when the sounds of mining changed.

"Hey, we're almost there! Come on, guys! We can do this!" She began mining away too, and tired herself further. After about an hour, we had fully uncovered a large vein of iron ore. Even with Blight's added strength, I could not keep up with either Thomas nor Iza, who were still mining.

Simon had left to cheek the airship's furnace, and returned with burlap sacks. "For the ore," he explained. We kept going at it until all four sacks were filled with metal. Thomas clapped his hands together.

"Well done guys. Let's go home and finish it, shall we?" Everyone climbed up onto the airship. I warped to my post at the steering wheel.

Impressive. It took you around four hours to do something that, while underground, would have taken you ten. Mining metals at the lake had been easier, but this is more fun.

I know! I love being the captain.

You should ask one of the spiders to make you a hat.

The image his thought conveyed made me giggle.

Maybe I will.

Simon turned to face me, an eyebrow raised in amusement. I gave him a wry smile, feeling my cheeks turn hot.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, uh... n-nothing."

The creeper boy shrugged and walked downstairs to fire up that furnace. A sigh of relief escaped me. I turned to the rest of my 'crew'.

"Alright guys! Let's wrap it up and go home!" Everyone cheered, even Simon who was stil belowdecks. "Valory, raise the anchor!"

The spider nodded and dashed down. A few minutes later, the airship bobbed gently and the metalwork of the anchor began to 'clack' and 'clang'. Valory walked back up and gave me a salute. I smiled at her and turned to Iza.

"Let's get some more altitude, shall we?" The slime girl nodded and pulled on the red chain. We began to rise slowly, and we soon got enough clearance to turn around. I pushed the propeller's lever to 1/4th of power and spun the wheel to the right.

We just about managed to turn the ship without scraping it's hull against the stone. I pushed the lever to max and we began sailing back home.

I love this.

Yes. You mentioned that.

Well it's true!

I know. I like it as well.

The wind buffeted my face and caused my purple hair to flow behind me. The other girls had tied theirs back in ponytails. We arrived an hour later, and I slowed us down.

"Val, drop the anchor!"

"Aye aye, captain!"

"Iza, lower us down!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Thomas, make sure we don't hit anything on our way down."

"We're in the clear, captain!"

"Simon, shut off the propeller furnace!"

"On it."

It took us a few minutes, but we successfully managed to 'park' the airship. Everyone got off, and we were greeted by our friends that we had left behind. Thomas brought us inside, and Simon got to cooking dinner. Thomas stood up and smiled at me.

"Let's thank our wonderful captain for a job well done!" Everyone clapped. I felt my face grow hot, and gave them a sheepish smile.

"W-well, I-I couldn't have done it without the help of my amazing crew..." Everyone laughed at that, and Sarah hugged me. I blushed harder, unable to cope with all the attention. Thankfully, simon walked in with some of the plates.

"Here we go."

I was served first, a plate of dandelion salad with a big and juicy chunk of mutton. Everybody began eating, still chatting with one another. I felt warm and fuzzy sitting here with my family.

Family, huh? Do I count?

Of course you do, Blight. You may be a demon, but you're my friend too.

Well... thank you.

You are very much welcome.

We talked and talked until Thomas called the lights out. Iza still had Simon's hoodie on. The creeper boy walked up to her and gestured to the hoodie. Iza hesitated and then reluctantly began to take it off.

"You can keep it if you like." The slime girl looked up at him.

"N-no, it's yours, but... maybe... for one night?" Simon smiled.

"Of course, Z." He planted a quick kiss on her cheek and walked upstairs. Iza was blushing, and she looked utterly stunned.

You have a weird family.

Well, yeah. But remember, you're family too.

Hm... you're right.

I warped to my room and got into my bed. I stared at the dark ceiling for a while, my thoughts drifting to today's adventure. I smiled, and felt Blight 'smile' too.

The Greatest captain ever.

Yes, yes I am.

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Theridas's POV

I pulled up my black pants and buckled my belt. Pepper was already fully dressed and staring at me from the corner of the room. The faint morning light filtering through the blinds in the window turned her orange hair a golden color. I pulled on my dark cloak and turned to look at her.

She smiled warmly. "How are you feeling?" I combed my fingers through my dark hair.

"Very refreshed." We had taken showers one by one. She had teased me with her naked body, and it took everything I had to keep a straight face and walk into the bathroom. "Thank you. For... for everything, Pepper."

Her smile widened. "You are very much welcome, Theridas. I enjoyed the experience." I felt my blush return.

"W-well, I Uh... need to go meet my friends." She walked past me and towards the door. I stared at her bottom longingly before catching myself and turning away.

"Of course." She turned to look at me again, her hand on the knob. "Where do you guys live?" I opened and closed my mouth.

"Uh... in an apartment building. Down the street. I'm not... sure where exactly. I can't really remember." I gave her a sheepish smile. Pepper opened the door and gestured for me to follow.

She lead me downstairs. A few people where sitting on the tables in the mostly empty and well-lit restaurant. Ronaldo was cleaning the bar with a white rag. He looked up for a second before returning to his task.

"Good morning, folks. Hope you're feeling well-rested. Neither Erik nor I could shut our eyes because of all the racket you two made." I blushed further. Pepper smiled and sat on a barstool.

"Good morning, Ronaldo. Theridas wants to pick up his food." Ronaldo raised an eyebrow at me.

"That your name, champ? Never heard that one before." I gave the barkeep a small smile.

"Well, I've never heard the name Ronaldo before." He shrugged.

"Sounds fair. Erik kept your food Warm." Pepper raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Really? You two are never that nice to a customer." Ronaldo shrugged again, rubbing his rag against a particularly tough grease splotch on the bar's counter.

"He did pay with a gem-encrusted ring, so... kind of rude not to keep his food warm. I'll go fetch it for you." I nodded and he left hurriedly towards the kitchen. I sat down beside Pepper. She pushed a few strands of orange hair behind her ears.

"So. You don't know where your friends are." I shook my head.

"No. It's on the third floor of this dull grey building. A mean old lady rents the rooms." Pepper nodded, her eyes lighting up. I turned to the corridor where Ronaldo had disappeared.

"I know where you mean. It's ms. Brekelbaum's place. She is quite rude." I smirked.

"No kidding."

"I could help you find it." I turned to face her. Her dark green eyes glittered in the morning light.

"Really?"

"Of course. I know these streets better than anyone." I smiled.

"Thank you." She smiled back. Ronaldo exited the kitchen and walked towards us carrying a white bag. He placed it on the counter.

"Here you go. Nine tortas, still warm and delicious." I nodded, stood up, and picked up the bag.

"Thank you, Ronaldo."

"Thank you, Therisito. Come back anytime." He returned to cleaning his counter. I turned and extended my elbow at Pepper. She smiled and hooked her arm around it. We walked towards the exit, and the beautiful creeper woman looked over her shoulder.

"Bye, Ronaldo. Say hi to Erik for me."

"Later, Pep."

We wandered out onto the bustling streets. It looked just a busy as last night, but at least I could see better. Pepper led me in the direction I had come from.

"Who are you here with? What brings you to Veridon?" I stared at everything in wonder. There were shops and houses, buildings of many different shapes and sizes.

"I'm here with Lady Anastasia, the ex-queen of the nether-realm. And Ella, the daughter of... of some friends that passed away." She looked at me, but didn't stop moving.

"That's terrible! What happened?"

I sighed. "It's a long story... I'd rather tell you in the apartment." She nodded. We were walking in front of an alley when a big man stopped us. We tried to go around him, but a second one showed up. A third blocked us from behind. We slowly retreated into the alleyway.

The first one walked up to me. "Hey, man. That's some fancy clothing you got there. Why don't you hand everything over, huh? Or do I have to beat it out of you?"

Pepper stood in front of me. We were almost the same size, 5'9, and the guy in front of us was probably 6'2. Still, Pepper took a boxing stand, looking as intimidating as anything.

"You better keep your retarded hands off my man." I blinked. Her man? The man chuckled.

"Or what, red-head? You gonna hit me or something?" Pepper smiled, excitement glinting in her dark-green eyes.

"If you insist." She threw him a left hook so fast that I didn't even see it. The guy's face snapped to the right, and he took a few steps back. Pepper didn't wait for him or his commrades to react. She just kept swinging.

She knocked out the poor man, and he fell to the ground with a dull thump. The other two scowled and walked closer. Pepper took a few steps back, and looked over her shoulder.

"You're a Blaze, right?" I blinked and nodded

"I, uh... yeah."

"You can throw fire?"

"Um... yes."

"Then throw some!" She turned back to the fight. I summoned a small fireball and threw it weakly towards one of the men. Pepper swung back and punched the fireball, giving it one hell of a kick.

It exploded on the second man's chest, and it knocked him to the ground. He fainted when his head hit the concrete. There was a hole in his shirt, but it thankfully didn't catch fire.

The third man raised his palms and ran away. Some of Pepper's hair had drifted back onto her face. She had a wicked smile lighting up her features. I stared as she pushed the orange strands behind her ears.

"That... that was... impressive." She beamed at me.

"Thanks, hun." She rolled her shoulders. "Nothing like an early scuffle to get the blood pumpin', huh?" I gave her a weak smile. And remembered something.

"Y-you... I'm your man?" She giggled. It seemed out of place, somehow.

"Well, I did let you come in my ass, didn't I?" I looked away and rubbed my arm. My cheeks felt hot with embarrassment.

"Pepper! You can't just say that!" She slapped my back.

"Come on, flame-head. We need to get that food delivered to your peeps." I sighed and followed her out of the alley. We walked for a few minutes before stopping in front of the old building. 'Ms. Brekelbaum' was in the bottom floor, on a couch, reading a newspaper.

The elderly woman looked up. "Oh. It's you." I smiled sheepishly. Pepper gave her a grin.

"Hey ms. Brekelbaum. How have you been?" The woman 'hmph'd.

"You still owe me that last payment, girl. Don't think you're welcome here." Pepper placed her hands on her hips.

"Ms. Brekelbaum, I paid you two days ago. Remember?" She stared at Pepper intently before 'hmph'ing again.

"Right. Still, don't think I'm glad to see you. You are too loud." Pepper 'hmm'ed happily.

"Well, good day to you too. Come on, Theridas. Third floor, was it?" I nodded, and She lead me upstairs. We stopped in front of the door to the apartment. Pepper looked at me.

"Do you have the keys?" I searched my pockets. Aw, shit.

I looked up at her, a sheepish grin on my face. "Apparently not." She grinned and lifted a hand. The keys were right there in her palm. My eyes widened.

"Where did you...?"

"I found them on the floor while you took a shower. That's kind of how I knew where you lived. Only ms. Brekelbaum orders such keys. But I was being serious about my knowledge of these streets."

She placed the metal key in the lock and turned it clockwise. The door opened, and we entered.

Ella was still sleeping peacefully on the couch. I took a peek in the bedroom. Lady Anastasia was asleep too. I sighed in relief. Good. Neither one is awake.

Pepper sat on a chair in front of the table. I sat down on the couch beside her, careful not to wake Ella. I placed the bag of food on the table. My stomach grumbled, and I realized that I hadn't eaten dinner, nor breakfast. Pepper smiled at me.

"Well, somebody sounds hungry." She leaned in, a mischievous spark in her eyes. "Was I not filling enough, hun?" My blush returned.

"P-Pepper! S-stop that!" She giggled quietly.

"I'm just messing with you, love. Go on, eat." I sighed and nodded. Pepper stared at me with half-lidded eyes, her chin in her hand, as I ate. It was very uncomfortable to feel her gazing at me with such naked interest.

The food was great. Better than anything I had before. When I finished with my three... what where they? Tortes? Something like that. When I finished, I began to feel tempted to eat the other six.

My hand slowly stretched towards them, and Pepper gave it a gentle slap. "Nu-uh, babe. Those are for the little one and your other friend." I smiled and sat back on the couch.

We spoke in hushed voices for a while, getting to know each other better. She ran away from home at 12, by choice, and has wandered the streets ever since. "My parents were very nice people, but I felt too... constricted at home. That's why I left."

I nodded. "I never met my mom. And my father died of the wither six years ago." She placed a hand on mine. It felt rough and gentle.

"That's terrible. Do you guys have medics over there?" I nodded.

"Yes, but they couldn't cure him despite their best efforts. Now... I'm afraid that Lady Anastasia has caught it too." Pepper gave a gentle squeeze to my hand, and I returned the gesture.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it's nothing, but if she did catch it, our medics will be able to cure it." My eyes widened.

"You found a cure for the wither?" She smiled.

"Well, a cure for the everything, more like. It turns out milk can do a lot more than taste good with cookies." We talked for maybe an hour before Lady Anastasia awoke. I heard the bedsprings creak, and a tired groan. I stood up and walked over to the bedroom.

Lady Anastasia was there, sitting up on the edge of the bed. She turned to face me with drooping eyelids. I smiled and bowed.

"Good morning, my lady. Do you feel well-rested?" The tired ex-monarch sighed.

"If only, Theridas. But I do feel better. How did you sleep?" My thoughts wandered to last night, and all of the things Pepper and I did. My cheeks grew hot, and my smile turned awkward.

"Um... v-very Well, my Lady." She nodded and stood up. I walked over and took her hand, helping her walk towards the living room. She stopped after noticing Pepper.

The creeper woman smiled brightly, looking as innocent as ever. "Good morning."

Lady Anastasia gave her a small smile. "Good morning. And who might you be?"

Pepper stood up and extended a hand out to lady Anastasia. The ex-queen shook it gently. "I'm Pepper, Theridas's girlfriend." Lady Anastasia raised her eyebrows in surprise and turned to me, a laughing smile on her face.

"Really? Well then. You don't waste any time, do you Theridas?" I smiled sheepishly and gave her a nervous laugh.

"I Uh... I brought some food for you and Ella." I pointed to the food bag on the table.

Lady Anastasia nodded and sat down beside the snoozing Ella. The young Ghast girl mumbled and turned over in her sleep. She looked so cute and peaceful.

The ex-queen unwrapped one of the bread thingies and stared at it curiously. She turned to me, confused. I smiled encouragingly. Pepper smiled too.

"It's a torta." Her pronunciation of the strange word was not quite what Ronaldo had spoken. "You bite it. Trust me, it's very good." I nodded, showing my agreement.

Lady Anastasia looked back at the foodstuff and took a bite. I could see by the gleam in her eyes that she liked it just as much as I had. "It's... quite good. Where did you get this, Theridas?"

"At a restaurant bar down the street." I rubbed the back of my neck. "That's where I met Pepper." Lady Anastasia nodded again and took another bite. I saw Ella's nose twitch, and then the girl slowly opened her crimson eyes.

She blinked sleepily and looked around. I smiled at her, and she sat up. "Good morning, Ella." She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Good morning." She blinked sleepily again, and looked around the room. Her gaze landed on Pepper, then on the food. The young girl got off the couch and picked up one of the wrapped up foods.

"What's this?" I unwrapped it for her.

"It's food. Try it, they're good." The Ghast girl nodded and gave it a small bite. She smiled and took another. Lady Anastasia was already down to her second one. I watched hungrily as they relished their meal. Pepper scooted her chair over to me.

I smiled at her and she smiled back. I placed an arm around her, and she rested her head on my shoulder. I looked out the window towards the busy streets and the green moors beyond. Being here with my compatriots as well as Pepper made me feel much more optimistic than I had been for days.

It felt as if nothing would ever go wrong again. I decided to be brave and placed a kiss on Pepper's forehead. She closed her eyes, the faint smile on her lips growing wider. It felt good to make her smile. If only Darkness wasn't planning an attack, if only we had met under different circumstances...

I placed my cheek on top of her orange hair. If only, if only...

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Author's Notes.

Would you look at that. Another 4K word long chapter. Huh. :D

This one was mostly oriented towards Theridas's POV. I hope you guys don't mind.

Anywho, thank you all for your time and support, have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	41. Redstone Bits?

Author's Notes

Uh... sorry for this chapter being late. I was kind of busy. :I

Reviews!

GiggiEba, well that was kind of the goal for Pepper's personality. :P Don't fret, Blight will soon be revealed to the rest of the gang, you just have to be patient. :)

ThinMint, I thought so too! And, well, things would be much easier if milk (or water) could cure diseases. However, (Y'know, in my little world) all Nether mobs are 'allergic' to water. So I guess they're... hidro-intolerant? :P

Anywho, on with the story!

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Darkness's POV

I watched as the last few monsters of my Necronaut division passed through the portal. All that was left were the Demonauts, and that would take longer because of the ghasts; they could only fit two at a time through the portal's frame. That's why I only summoned 100 of them.

Things took longer since Theridas escaped. He may have been a coward and simpleton, but fuck was he efficient. Now I'm stuck with a different servant, a maid that seems to fear me and my generals much more than even Theridas did.

"Trudy, what's the status on my army?"

The young woman swallowed. "W-well, th-the spooky ones are through, a-and now we're only waiting for th-the explody ones."

I nodded. Despite her apparent lack of wording, I understood almost everything she said. Almost.

"Good. I should go and be commanding my armies. I will not return." Her eyes widened.

"Wh-what? But then... wh-who are you leaving in charge?" I smiled.

"Someone I trust very much. Oh." I was walking away, but then turned around after having remembered something. "And You're coming with me." She hugged herself tight, that pretty little face of hers becoming a mask of genuine horror.

"M-m-me??? Wh-Why?" I rolled my eyes.

"Because you're my royal servant. I need you there to help me command my armies. You will be periodically returning to the nether to check up on things. And when the war begins, you can cower here if you like."

My words seemed to calm her down somewhat. "O-Okay... Wait, but wh-who are you leaving in charge?" My smile returned.

"Who else but me?" I extended my arm, and black flames erupted from it. They fell to the ground, and began rising as they forged another being. Trudy stared wide-eyed and took a step back. After a few minutes, a being who looked just like me stood before us.

I gestured towards it. "This is a shadow, a temporary vessel which I can control whenever I like. Otherwise, it will act on it's own accord." The vessel turned to face Trudy and bowed. The scared blaze didn't know what to do.

"W-Wait, so are you leaving you in charge???" I smiled.

"Yes. Now come on, Trudy. We have armies to command and captains to shout at."

"Y-yes, my lord." As she passed by the shadow, I made it wink at her. Trudy blushed and walked faster. Her response made me chuckle. Before we passed through the nether portal, I turned to the shadow.

"My brother will arrive soon. You are to engage him and his friends, understood?" The shadow nodded.

"I shall burn him to a crisp."

I smirked at it. "You won't be able to." Then I turned and passed through the thin violet screen of the nether portal and emerged on the other side.

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Kaitlin's POV

I woke up in cold sweat for the third time this week. Tonight's dream was about my father again. Last time it had been my mother. I didn't mention this to anyone, and it was beginning to drive me insane.

I walked downstairs to find everybody else already having breakfast. I sat down in between Jack and Adrian as always. Jack kept staring at Lila, which was nothing new, but there was a sad little frown on his face as well. Sarah served me my plate of steak and dandelion salad.

"Good morning, Kait. How did you sleep?" I smiled.

"Very well, thank you." The skeleton girl nodded and sat down next to Thomas. He was chatting with Simon about airship designs and the sort.

"... too slow and heavy."

"Well, If we add a secondary propeller, we will be able to negate most of that weight. And vertical speed would improve."

"But then we would burn through fuel much faster and would need to carry more."

"Not if we used redstone. It's much lighter, and it gives us much more freedom when it comes to mechanisms and such."

"We don't have any redstone."

"All we need to do is find some."

"Hm... mining trip, you say?"

"Sure. I could bring some explosives and speed things up."

"Just be sure to not bring down the whole cave."

"No promises."

Simon smiled as he spoke the last sentence. I shivered just thinking of being underground. If being up here was cold, then down there things would be absolutely freezing. Eba had been eating distractedly and perked up when the guys mentioned mining.

"Could I tag along?"

"Of course. Do you want to go with, Z?" The slime girl looked surprised that Simon had spoken his pet name for her, but nodded eagerly.

"I-I'd love to, Simon." The creeper nodded and returned to his meal.

Once everyone was done eating, the four people designated to go mining geared up. Simon took his 'demo-belt', an iron pickaxe and a burlap sack full of torches and a rope ladder. Thomas brought his pick and a sack filled with apples. Eba and Iza carried a pick each.

We said our goodbyes and they left towards the edge of the valley. I walked over and sat down beside Valory, who was playing with Nightshade sitting cross-legged on the grass. I pet the scaly head of the phantom.

Valory smiled at me. "Hey, Kaitlin. How are you doing?" I smiled in return.

"Fine, thank you for asking." Nightshade chirped, and Valory caressed her clothed back. Phantoms were like small dragons, but dark blue and didn't breathe fire.

"How did you get Nightshade?", I asked. Valory smiled fondly at her pet.

"Well, it's a weird story. You know how Lila and I met Thomas, right?"

I nodded. The 'gang' told me the story many times. Val continued.

"I had a crush on Thomas the moment Lila brought him to our little cave. He is one hell of a beefcake, no doubt about that, and seeing him tied up and at my mercy was just..." she blushed and turned away.

"*ahem* Exiting. Anyway, when Thomas and Sarah hooked up, I just felt... so depressed. I couldn't sleep, didn't sleep, for five days. Sarah walked up to me, trying to make things right. I, uh... I was pissed. In the end, I kind of lost it. Just walked into the woods."

Nightshade chirped again, and I pet her tail. One of it's scales was chipped.

"That's it?"

"No. I actually performed the Moonlit Dance." Valory proudly puffed out her chest as she spoke. "It is a traditional thing that spiders do." I nodded at her humorous explanation of the dance.

"We do it at night so phantoms will come out and watch. In the end, if a spider performs it correctly, one of the phantoms will fly down to him or her."

I nodded and stared at Nightshade. The phantom stared back at me. She had funny little goggles on. Valory caressed her back. "She was the last one. I make her robes so she doesn't burn up. She seems to like them, too."

"Can one spider have multiple phantoms?"

"Well... yeah. But it's kind of hard to tame multiples at once. Our teacher, mine and Lila's I mean, had three of them. She supposedly tamed them all with a single dance. But you can also tame them one by one. Your current phantom or phantoms will dance alongside you, except they'll try to ward off the others."

I blinked. "Really?"

Valory smiled. "Yes. That is actually a good way to tame strong Phantoms. Only the brave ones will go to you if you already have a phantom."

I nodded. Nightshade chirped and flew off. I gazed at her agile figure until she became a tiny speck in the sky.

"What happens if I try to tame a phantom?" Valory placed her chin in the palm of her hand thoughtfully.

"I don't know. I could probably teach you the dance, but I've never heard of a mob from a different clan owning a tamed phantom."

I summoned a fireball and played with it. Valory's eyes lit up.

"Wait! You can make fire!" I blinked at her.

"Yes. I'm a blaze."

"No, I know that, but like... that's it! Phantoms like fire too. You could make some at night, and maybe some would appear. Then you could try to tame one."

I nodded, smiling. "We should try it at some point."

"Yeah, we should."

I talked with Valory for the rest of the day, helping her stitch together another tiny cloak for Nightshade. We had an amazing time, and I almost forgot about my nightmare.

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Eba's POV

We spent an hour in the caves without finding anything but iron and coal. I even found a small lump of gold! But no redstone. Iza was guiding us deeper, saying that redstone would be plentyful down here. Blight was being fidgety, and a dull throbbing pulsed lightly in the back of my head.

I don't like this.

What?

Being so far underground. There's nothing for me to rot.

Why is that a problem?

Do you feel that headache too?

Yes.

It's because I haven't absorbed the life of something in a long time. ...and Because i don't like being underground.

But then why didn't we feel the headache up on the mountain? There was nothing to rot there.

Yes there was. Beneath the frost was mountain grass. Not very filling, but it kept the headache at bay. There is nothing here, however. Not even a few mushrooms.

Will the headache get worse?

To the point when you feel like your skull is being cracked open and burnt from the inside out.

Kind of like when you possessed me.

Um, yeah. Sorry about that.

It's fine. Uh... how do we fix it?

We can't unless we find some grass or perhaps a spider. They aren't undead.

Why is that important?

Undead mobs don't satisfy me since they have no life-force. Spiders aren't undead, and are actually very lively.

Ugh... don't tell me you eat spiders too!

Only small ones. They are the crunchiest.

Ew, Blight, no! Don't say that!

Hmph. Keep your head in the game.

Ugh...

We wandered for a few more hours without a trace of redstone. The headache was getting worse. We soon encountered a bright pool of lava. Iza warned us to keep away, and began mining a separate tunnel. Mining was very easy down here with Blight's strength, and I was usually the one in the lead.

We broke through the rock and into a large cavern. There was a few monsters which Simon quickly dispatched using his shortswords. There was three tunnels branching out from the cavern. Iza led us down the middle one.

She had been in the lead, and an exited gasp escaped her. I walked up to the slime girl and smiled. She had found redstone! Simon quickly began to mine it with my help. Iza and thomas kept mining forwards so we didn't waste any time. In total, we gathered 27 redstone... bits? Clumps?

Dust piles.

Oh! Right.

We also stumbled across a dungeon! Or... not a dungeon. A mob spawner. It was for zombies. While Thomas broke the spawner, I looted the chest. There were a few pieces of wheat and stale bread, as well as a Golden ingot and a dusty old saddle. Blight got very exited over the wheat.

Hide it!

What? Why?

So I can rot it, dummy! Don't let them see it or they might get suspicious.

Why can't I just tell them about you?

Because I'm a demon! Just... hide the wheat.

Okay.

And walk up to the walls.

Why?

They have vines. I can rot those and take the edge off our headache.

Okay. What do I do?

Pass your hands over them. I'll do the rest.

I nodded to myself and walked towards the nearest wall. Just like Bligh wanted, I passed my hand slowly over the thick green vines. I felt the familiar and comforting trickle of Blight's rot-sand passing from my arm to the palm of my hand. I felt as the headache dulled down.

Ah... that's better.

Do you feel the headache as much as I do?

No, it's much worse for me. I've actually been dampening down the pain so you could focus.

Really? Does... does that hurt?

Yes. But it's alright. Please keep going.

Oh. Okay..

The vines that I touched turned black from the bottom to the top. Thankfully no-one noticed. Soon, the entire spawner had black vines, without a single one left. I felt the pleasure of absorbing the plant's life-force now that the headache was gone.

I forgot how good that felt...

Focus, Eba. I don't want you to end up hurting one of your friends.

What? Why would I hurt them?

If you think rotting plants is pleasurable, then you would comepletely loose it after rotting a more complex living organism.

What??? B-but I would never hurt my friends!

I'll make sure of that, don't worry.

Oh. Well... thanks. I, uh, I thought you might end up making me attack my friends at some point. You know, because you're a demon.

I made a promise to you, Eba. I'll keep you and your friends safe to the best of my abilities.

Thank you, Blight.

A couple more hours into our mining trip, we found more redstone. We now had 73 dust piles! Monsters were everywhere at this point, and Thomas had told me to warp everyone out.

"Uh... I'm not sure if I can."

"Why not?"

"Well, the more stuff I warp, the more energy it requires. I could pass out from this."

"Oh. Can you do it one at a time?"

"I... think so."

"Okay. You and Iza-" An explosión interrupted him. Simon had gone ahead to make sure no mobs were around, and he dashed from the tunnel with a grim expression.

"Monsters. Lots of them. We need to go now."

I heard groaning behind me and turned around. There was threee zombies and a spider blocking our path. I let out a breathless shriek and took a few steps back. Blight snarled in my head.

You need to warp everyone out.

I-I can't!

Yes you can. I'll help you.

Oh, but...

You can do it, just focus.

... okay.

I pulled everyone close and held them tightly. I could hear the monsters as they approached, their unholy sounds comepletely unnerving. I shut my eyes tight and focused on our home.

Then I warped.

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Theridas's POV

I woke up sitting on the couch with Pepper stretched out across it. Her head was laying on my chest, and my left arm was draped over her waist. I craned my neck to take a peek at the bedroom. Both Ella and lady Anastasia were sleeping there. I used my right hand to caress Pepper's orange hair.

She rolled over, now resting her head on my lap. I smiled and poked her in between her ribs. She twitched but didn't stir. I poked her again and she mumbled.

"Mmm... please no... sleepy..." I chuckled quietly and poked her a third time. She groaned and snuggled up to me. "No..." I gently shook her.

"Come on, Pepper. You need to wake up." She groaned again and turned towards me without opening her eyes.

"Why... it's Saturday..." I didn't know what that was, so I poked her again. She grimaced and lazily opened one eye. "Please... I want to sleep." I smiled lovingly at her.

"I know, darling, but we can't just stay here. We need to take lady Anastasia to the medic." I hadn't brought the tired ex-monarch to the doctor simply because she looked much too tired. I hoped that if I gave her another day she would feel well enough. Pepper gave me a cute pouty face.

"Aw... fine." She slowly sat up and stretched. She let out a moan as she did so. "Ugh... I hate waking up this early on Saturdays."

"What are Those?" She whirled around to face me, her mouth a small and shocked 'o'.

"You Don't have Saturdays?"

"Uh... no?"

"Does that mean you just work every day?"

"Of course." She looked utterly taken aback.

"How do you not lose your sanity?" I gave her a small frown.

"What do you mean?"

"I can barely wait for the weekend to arrive without going mad. You are supposed to take a break from working to do stuff! Like taking walks or sightseeing or getting insanely drunk at the cousin's bar!"

I smiled. "Well, there really isn't much to see in the nether. And we don't have any alcohol there." Pepper held her head as if she was afraid it would fly off.

"HOW DO YOU PEOPLE LIVE???" I gently shushed her and pointed to the bedroom. Pepper calmed down.

"Most people don't work full time. We have on or off days, pretty much. Everybody helps out at some point, wether it's with building or mining and whatnot. But my father and I come from a long line of royal servants, and that is a full-time job." I swallowed, a wave of grief passing through me. "Or... it was."

Pepper noticed, and gently gave me a hug. I hugged her back. She began rubbing my back gently and held me tighter. "I'm sorry, hun. We'll take your friend to the medic as soon as she wakes up." I nodded and gave her a squeeze. She pulled back, sat up, and walked to the window. I followed her.

The city was still very new to me, and the view from our window was mesmerizing. There were colors and crazy signs, crumbling buildings and wooden homes. Some of the structures were beautifully built, with amazing detail carved onto their stone walls and roofs. There were even a few misshaped gargoyles.

Pepper sighed. "It's a very big city, don't you think? How will we ever keep it safe?"

I turned to face her. I had, of course, told Pepper about Darkness's plan. She took it much better than I expected. But this was new.

"We?" She smirked at me.

"Yes, we. I'm not going to let you have all the fun, sweetheart." I smiled fondly at her. I knew she could protect herself, but the thought of Darkness hurting her was terrifying.

"And I don't want you to get injured. All we're going to do is talk to the king and warn him about it. I'm sure his forces will be enough to protect the city." Her smirk turned into a frown.

"No, they won't. Not if that army is as big as you say. If we can get the king to listen, he will probably begin recruiting civilians as well." I looked back out to the bustling streets.

There were square stone buildings on some of the street corners, with guards stationed at their doors. I wonder what they are. Pepper shook my arm, and I turned to face her.

She was pointing to the bedroom with her thumb. I nodded and walked over. Lady Anastasia was trying to sit up without disturbing the still sleeping Ella. The little girl had been chatting excitedly with Pepper all day yesterday, and it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I helped lady Anastasia up.

"How do you feel today, my lady?" She gave me a tired smile.

"Better, Theridas. Thank you." I nodded and lead her to the living room. Pepper was leaning against the wall, staring absently at the window. I made sure that lady Anastasia could stand by herself and walked up to the creeper woman. I hesitated, and then gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Pepper blinked and turned to me with a smile. "Hey, you."

"Hi. Can you help me take lady Anastasia to the medics?"

"Of course, love. Follow me." I handed her the keys, and she swiftly opened the door. I extended my elbow out to lady Anastasia, and she held onto my arm. I helped her walk down the three flights of stairs, which she did without much difficulty. I held Pepper's hand with my free one.

We wandered the streets for a while, occasionally stopping at a few stands along the way as per lady Anastasia's requests. We had bought her a cloth bag in which she carefully stored everything we bought; it ranged from colorful candies to beautifully carved wooden figurines.

We arrived at a 'pharmacy' after about an hour. Pepper had us walk up to the counter to wait for one of the attendees to help us. She waved one over.

"Hello. My friends and I were wondering if the doctor was around." The man nodded and pushed his thick-rimmed glasses farther up his nose.

"Yes, he's here. Second door to the right." Pepper smiled at him.

"Thank you." She ushered us towards and inside the doctor's office. He was a thin man with dark hair, similar in build and height to me. Except for his skin tone and eye color; his were a brilliant blue, and his skin was lighter than mine. Pepper smiled at him.

"Hey, Joel." The doctor smiled back.

"Pepper! I haven't seen you in a while. Still off partying at the cousin's bar?"

Pepper giggled and stood beside me with an air of pride. "Well, I was, but not anymore. See, I have a new boyfriend." She rested her head against mine. I felt very awkward under the searching gaze of the doctor. "And He doesn't go whoring around every night."

The doctor chuckled at that. "What do you know. Another victim fell to the mantis. What's your name, champ?" He extended a hand out to me, which I shook. He was stronger than I thought.

"Th-Theridas. Nice to meet you." He smiled and raised an eyebrow. There was cold hatred in those eyes, and it unsettled me.

"A gentleman, too. Nice to meet you Theridas. My name's Joel. I was Pepper's boyfriend once too. Breaking up was the best decision I've ever made." I chuckled nervously.

"Well... I'm sorry to hear that. But, uh... lady Anastasia needs medical attention." He turned to pepper with his eyebrow raised in curiosity. That eyebrow was bugging me.

"What's with him?"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "He's from the nether. And this," she gestured towards lady Anastasia, "is the ex-queen. We think she may have caught the wither." Joel nodded and gestured for us to follow him.

He patted the bed that was beside his desk as he searched through it's drawers. "Why don't you help your queen up here, the-the-Whats-it." I helped lady Anastasia sit down onto the bed. She handed me the cloth bag where we had everything. The doctor came up with a little gizmo.

"Right. Open your eyes, miss." Lady Anastasia did as she was told. The doctor searched them with the device, which was apparently a sort of focused lamp thing. He hummed to himself as he worked.

"Any pains?" Lady Anastasia nodded.

"My legs have been aching, as well as my shoulders and neck."

"Has your head been hurting at all?"

"A little."

"Do you feel tired? Unnaturally so?"

"Yes, very tired."

"Hm. I'm sad to say that you indeed have the wither. But, that can be easily fixed. I'll be right back." He then rushed out of the office and closed the door behind him. I turned to look at Pepper, who gazed at the closed door with distracted want. It made me feel even more nervous, even skittish.

"Uh... Pepper?" She snapped out of it and turned to me with a smile.

"Yes, love?"

"I, uh... you didn't tell me he was your boyfriend." She rolled her dark green eyes.

"He's my ex, silly. You don't have to worry about anything." I gently clapped my hands together and mumbled quietly.

"But I do worry. I... I don't like him. And he really doesn't like me. What if he gives Lady Anastasia the wrong medicines?" Pepper giggled, and it did nothing to soothe my shot nerves.

"He would never do that! It's against the law, and the only thing he loves more than drinking with his friends all night long is his job. Fucker would never screw it up in any way." I nodded, still worried. Pepper sighed and gave me a comforting hug.

"Don't worry, babe. He was right about our breakup being for the best. Besides, I have you now. I don't need anyone else." I swallowed.

"B-but, why me? I don't have a job. I don't even know how things work over here. I'm not... strong or manly or anything. I'm just..." I pulled away a little and stared at the floor with a frown. "I'm just a scared young man hoping for the best." Pepper gave me a brilliant smile.

"No, You're a brave soul that helped an ex-monarch and a young girl escape from a demon. You know what caught my eye when you were sitting at that table?" I looked up at her, curious.

"What?"

She cupped my cheek. "Your gorgeous amber eyes. You had a piercing gaze, the light giving them a beautiful glow. Your strong shoulders." She place one hand on my left shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"The way you were dressed, breathtaking in your fancy cloak and dark clothing." She inched closer, the smile never leaving her face. "Your voice. So manly, yet the words that fell from it were those of a worried child. I love that about you." She gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

"I love that you worry. About everything. You look and sound so cute when you're feeling flustered. My heart melts every time." She kissed me again, and I took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. She pulled away a few seconds later.

"I love you. Because you're so pure. You are the cutest guy I have ever met, the bravest and strongest, the best and most wholesome person on this earth." I blushed at her words. Does she really think that?

I gave her a sheepish smile. "R-really?" She giggled and threw her arms around my neck.

"Yes, really. I love you, Theridas." She kissed me once again, and I couldn't help but cave in. The kiss felt so needy and desperate. But that was probably me. We pulled away as soon as we heard Joel's voice say 'thank you for coming'.

We turned to see him and lady Anastasia rising up from their chairs. I felt my worry returned, along with curiosity. What? When did he come back? Pepper looked just as surprised. He smiled at us, that sharp edge in his gaze making me crawl under my skin.

"If you two lovebirds are done, maybe you could help your friend. I gave her a regeneration cure, and a bottle of Vigor. She should rest, but that potion will give her some energy back in case she needs it."

I nodded, still in shock. Pepper was fixing her hair, tying it back in a ponytail. "Thank you, Joel. How much do we owe you?" He stared at the ceiling distractedly before looking back at us.

"3 golden nuggets." Pepper grimaced and pulled out a wallet from her jeans pockets. I pulled off my father's diamond ring and handed it to Joel.

"Is this enough?" The medic stared at it with wide eyes.

"Uh... more than enough. I can't take that." I shook my head.

"Please. It's the only way I can pay you." He stared at me for a moment before nodding. He took it, and dropped the ring in his desk drawer.

"Well, then. I see why Pepper likes you know." The creeper woman stared indignantly at him with her mouth agape.

"Joel! Are you insinuating that I only love him for his money?" The doctor shrugged.

"If that's the way you want to put it." Pepper looked more angry than shocked now.

"How dare you? That is not-" I interrupted her with one hand and picked up lady Anastasia's cloth bag.

"Thank you, Joel. Have a good day." The doctor nodded without taking his eyes off Pepper. I gently pulled her by her wrist towards the door, where lady Anastasia was waiting. We left without another word and walked back towards the apartment building. Pepper was seething all the way.

"The nerve of that pompous bastard! How fucking dare he? I should have clobbered him for that!" I waited calmly and paitiently for her to finish ranting. We actually arrived at the apartment before that, however. I nodded at miss Brekelbaum, who stared at Pepper with irritation.

I unlocked the door to the room and was greeted with a crying Ella. She ran from the bedroom and hugged my leg tightly, wiping tears off her face. "You're alive!" Smiled at her, confused, and picked her up and into my arms.

"Of course we are. Why wouldn't we?" She sniffled and wiped more tears off her cheeks.

"I woke up and none of you were here... I thought Darkness had caught you!"

I felt a sharp pang of guilt. How could I have left the poor girl by herself? How could I have been so stupid? Pepper immediately stopped talking and took Ella into her own arms.

"We're alright, babygirl, See? I'm sorry we left you behind. It won't happen again, I promise." The girl snuggled up to Pepper's chest. She was sobbing lightly, but had visibly calmed down.

"*sniff*... o-okay. Where did you go?" I closed the door and helped lady Anastasia walk towards the bedroom. I could hear Pepper gently speak to the scared girl.

"You know lady Anastasia has been sick, right?"

"*sniff*... yes."

"Well, We took her to the bastard of a doctor so he could cure her."

"What's a bastard? *sniff*" Once I made sure that lady Anastasia was fine, I walked over to the doorway and watched as Pepper wandered around the living room with Ella in her arms.

"Nothing, sweetie, I'm just angry at him."

"Why?"

"He said something about Theridas that I didn't like, that's all."

"What did he say?"

"Oh, I can't remember. Why don't we play something, huh? Would you like that?"

"Yes please!" Pepper gently put the young Ghast girl down. We looked at each other for a moment. I smiled, and she returned the gesture. I walked over to her and held her calloused hand. She gave me a kiss on the cheek, and I blushed.

Ella emptied the satchel bag where I kept all of our clothes and pulled out a few rag dolls. Pepper smiled at the little girl and sat on the ground beside her. I smiled fondly as they played, watching them from the couch. I felt very happy at this moment, the happiest I had been since my father died.

My smile widened and I looked out the window to the lovely moors. The happiest I've ever been, really. I wondered, just for a second, what would happen if Pepper had been a nether mob and Darkness hadn't taken over. Would we still have fallen in love? What would a life with her be like?

I turned back to the gorgeous creeper woman and the young Ghast girl. They were still playing excitedly, and the sight made my worries melt away. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen.

And to think, if Darkness had never invaded I wouldn't have met Pepper. The thought brought my eyes back to the emerald moors. Oh, If only the three realms weren't in danger...

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Author's Notes

I'm sorry it took so long for me to publish the chapter! I had been so busy, and didn't have time to finish it. I hope it's length is enough to make up for it, though. :D

5.5k words long! I probably could have kept going, too...

Anywho, thank you all for your time and support! Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	42. Terrible Nightmares

Author's Notes

Uhh... I may or may not have forgotten to publish this chapter yesterday... sorry. :I

I'm glad everyone liked last chapter! Thank you, Soviet platypus, for your review!

GiggiEba, thank you for your wonderful support! :D I'm really glad I nailed it on the aesthetic. I'm very proud of how it turned out.

ThinMint, I'll fix that, then. I also like the idea of armored phantoms! You'll have to wait for everone's reactions though. Thank you for your support!

Anywho, let's get on with the story!

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Blight's POV

I kept the monsters at bay with my rot-sand, careful not to let anyone notice. Then Eba warped us, and we sailed through the void. I watched them warp off again. But I was still here. I looked around, alert and at the ready. I summoned a shadow to act as a vessel and defend myself if it came to that.

I heard a growl from the void and turned in it's direction. There was nothing but darkness. And more noises. I kept turning, searching for their origin. Every so often in a rhythmic fashion, I heard guttural and ghostly exhales. Then a voice, one that carried throughout the darkness.

"Demon... born from rot and raised from poison... why are you Here?"

I looked around in vain. I spoke loudly into the void. "I am Blight. My friend and vessel intended to warp us to the surface. Why have you separated me from her?"

I heard another exhale, and the sound of falling sand. Grain by grain, just like when I summoned something. "You possessed a human... yet I see no evidence of harm, physical nor mental... explain."

I turned towards the sound of falling sand, and found a gaping circular maw filled with teeth like swords. It's body was made of a dark-brown tornado of slow-moving dust. I could also hear a series of clicks now before each exhale.

"I made a promise."

"Demons don't keep promises."

"I am not a normal demon."

The massive being moved around me, it's snake-like body following it from the darkness. "True... you were not spawned as a demon... correct?" I stared grimly at it. The disgusting sounds that protruded from it's throat were unnerving.

"How do you know, foul creature?"

"Everything that spawns in your world comes from the void... from the air you breathe to the creatures you eat... answer me, demon."

"You are right. I was not spawned as a demon. Are you a demon too?"

"I am Void... Guardian of creation... tell me, demon... how was life before your unholy spawning?"

I scowled at the monster before me. It's jaws seemed to rotate every time it moved and in the direction it was going. "I cannot remember." I felt searing pain come over me in waves. Similar to when Darkness split me from my original vessel.

"Do not lie to me demon... answer."

"Ugh... wh-Why? Why d-do you want to know?" The monster didn't answer. It just stared at me with it's wide-open jaws. "Gah... I... I didn't get the chance to live a full life. M-my partner... poisoned me. Because I didn't treat her well."

"Elaborate, demon"

"I... I beat her. Shouted at her, called her names. One day, she decided that she was fed up with it. And she poisoned my food."

"Do you know why you became a demon after death?"

"No."

The worm-like guardian neared me, until I was inches from it's gaping maw.

"Because Of your sins... the sun, creator and destroyer, decreed it."

I blinked at it. "The sun?" Void drew back.

"Indeed... He created both you and I... this world, the three realms, the clans... He is the most powerful spirit." I tried to come closer, but there was nothing for me to grasp.

"Then... if 'He' is a spirit, and I'm a demon... what are you? Some sort of god?" The beast recoiled into the darkness only to appear behind me.

"Know there are no gods, demon... only mortals who live long enough to watch the others perish." With that, Void disappeared into the dark. His voice rang in my head as I warped.

"Only Mortals... and the void."

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Time leap; 0.1 second(s) since initial warp. Blight's POV.

I was back in Eba's mind, and we were all on the grass a few meters away from the house. Her friends began moving, but Eba did not.

Eba? Are you okay?

There was no answer. I had to think fast. The tall one groaned and tried to stand up. I took control of Eba's body while desperately trying to wake her up.

Wake up, Eba! Your friends need you! Come on, dammit! Fuck...

I opened Eba's eyes and found the tall one's own looking at her with concern. I managed a tired smile. Her body was exhausted, and I could barely keep her eyelids from closing. "Are you Okay, Eba?"

"Y-yes. Just tired."

The guy nodded and stood up shakily. The rest of Eba's friends had noticed us, and were rushing to our aid. The skeleton girl helped 'tall guy' stand up properly. It seemed that warping multiple bodies was physically taxing for both the endergirl and her friends.

The creeper was helping the slime girl up. "Are you okay, Z?"

She nodded. "I'm fine." Then a gasp escaped her mouth. "Simon! Your arm!"

The creeper boy stared at his forearm in confusion. His hoodie had a large hole burned into it, revealing bright-red skin. He put out the tiny sparks on the green cloth and healed his burns.

"It's fine, See? I'm okay." The slime girl nodded and gave him a hug.

"Thank the lords. I thought you might've gotten hurt in the explosion." The creeper smiled.

"Me? Hurt in an explosion? You do know I can explode?" She pulled away from him in surprise. I sat cross-legged on the grass, watching everyone's exchange. Most of the friends were asking Thomas for the details, and I watched with interest.

"What happened?"

"Did you get the redstone?"

"Are you guys okay?"

"I didn't know you could explode!"

My attention was drawn back to the slime girl and creeper. The boy had a laughing smile on his face.

"Of course. I'm a creeper."

"And I'm a slime but I can't split off into tiny bits of myself!"

"You do make slime, though."

"Don't bring that up!"

The girl pushed him away with a flustered smile and covered her face with her hands. The creeper boy turned to me with his own smile.

"Are you Alright, Eba?"

I nodded. "Yes. I'm fine, just need to rest a little." He walked over to the slime girl, and the blaze princess sat down beside me. There was an odd aura coming off her in waves.

"Are you hurt, Eba?"

I shook my head. The blaze girl was squinting lightly at me. "You Sure? Your eyes are different." I blinked.

"D-different How?"

She extended a hand out to me, reaching for my cheek. "They're grey." I leaned back. Dammit, Eba, wake up! My cover is compromised! I gave the blaze a sheepish smile.

"R-really? I-I d-don't know why. B-but I'm not hurt, so that's g-good r-right?" She gave me a small frown.

"Are you sure you're okay? You're stuttering more than usual." I cursed myself for slipping up. Little did she know I was frantically trying to wake Eba.

"Oh. Um. sorry. Just... a little shaken up, you know?" The blaze nodded distractedly and smiled.

"Do you need a hug?"

I smiled back at her. "Yes, thank you." The blaze girl enveloped me in a soothing embrace. Her body seemed to produce heat naturally, but that aura gave me a light headache. I was still trying to wake Eba.

Come on! For all the lord's sakes, wake up!

...uh...

Eba? Wake up!

...what?...

Wake up, Eba! Hurry!

...B-Blight? What happened?"

You blacked out from the warp. And there is a lot of stuff for me to tell you. But I need you fully aware, okay?

Um... okay.

Run though my memories. Catch up on things. Quickly.

Right.

I felt her comb through the few minutes that had happened while she was unconscious. The blaze let go of me.

"Do you feel better, Eba?"

Your turn.

Okay. Thank you.

We'll talk later.

I relinquished control of her body and 'sat back'. Eba blinked and smiled at the blaze.

"Yes, I feel better. Thank you, Kait." The blaze smiled, searching 'our' eyes.

"They're magenta again." Eba raised an eyebrow.

"What is?"

"Your eyes. They changed back to that pretty color." Eba blushed and looked away.

"Th-Thank you, I guess." Kaitlin's smile widened and she stood up, extending a hand out to Eba. The endergirl took it. 'Tall guy' walked up to us, skeleton girl in tow.

"Are you good now, Eba?" She smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine. Is everyone else alright?"

He nodded. "Simon is putting everything away and Iza's chatting with Lila. We got plenty of redstone."

Eba's smile widened. "That's great!" Her smile became a confused frown. "What... what did you need it for?" Thomas pointed to the Auikyani, the airship anchored on the plains near the house.

"Simon has plans for another airship. He says it will be able to carry more, and will have weapons. You know, for self defense." Eba nodded.

"Okay. Will it be bigger? Will I get to... 'captain' it?" Thomas smiled.

"Of course. He says it will be a little bit smaller, though." Eba felt a little disappointed, but she covered it up with excitement.

"Yay! How soon will we finish it?" Thomas shrugged.

"Not sure. You should ask Simon, he might be able to tell you."

"Okay!" Then she turned away and walked towards the storage shed where the creeper boy supposedly was.

Was there something we were going to talk about?

Right, yes. Eba, did you... see anything strange while we warped?

Uh... no.

Are you sure?

Yes, I'm sure. Why? What's wrong?

Take another look through my memories Eba.

I felt her search through them again, and she 'gasped'.

In the name of all the lords, what is that?

That is Void, guardian of creation. He sort of stopped me mid-warp.

That's so creepy!

I know. Did you seriously not see any of this?

No...

That's very weird. I had never heard of Void in all my decades of being a demon.

Um... did... did you really beat your wife?

Yes, I did, and I'm ashamed of that. I... wish I had been a better person. That I had treated her better.

I felt some old memories resurface. Of the very few happy times we had together.

Why did you hurt her?

I don't know. My father used to beat my mother. I guess... like father like son.

But... you two look so happy. Why would you... ruin that?

Please, I don't want to talk about it. It's the reason why I'm a demon, a monster spawned from rot and poison. A creature of death.

Is it?

Yes. My wife poisoned me, and when I died I became a demon.

But... you're not like that. You're different than you were in these memories. More... friendly. And good.

A demon can't be good, Eba.

Then I guess you're not a demon.

I thought this over, the words resonating in my mind.

Then... what am I? Void called me a demon.

But 'Void' doesn't know you like I do. You're just a spirit, a spirit with special powers.

Spirits have elements too, they're just not as... evil.

Blight, stop it. You are not evil, or a demon, or a monster. You're my friend. My family.

Family. Was I truly part of her family?

Do you really think so, Eba?

Yes I do. You need to stop talking down to yourself.

I'll... I'll try.

... need a hug?

You'll blow my cover.

Why do you need to stay hidden anyways? Why can't I tell everyone about you?

We've already talked about this. We don't know how they'll react to you having a demon-

Spirit.

-inside your head. They might feel threatened, and try to hurt you.

No they wouldn't. They're my friends. None of them would hurt me. Or you.

How can you be so sure? Humans are unpredictable.

Well, so are spirits. Besides, what could they do? I can just warp away and try to reason with them from a distance. And I can defend myself.

But... fine. Just not right now. I'm pretty sure the blaze girl suspects something.

Kaitlin? I don't think so. She was just curious.

Perhaps. But I felt something else.

What?

A nightmare. Multiple nightmares.

Is... is that bad?

Usually not. But these were not regular nightmares. They were trauma-induced nightmares. The really bad ones, so to speak.

I thought all nightmares were really bad.

These are worse. They won't go away, and will cause some serious mental health issues if they are not dealt with.

How do we help her?

Demons can absorb nightmares, siphoning their strength out. The memories that caused them will fade over time as well.

Can you do that? Absorb her nightmares?

I could try... but these are terrible nightmares. Judging by their strength, she's had them for quite a while.

So?

It could harm the both of us if that energy is not discharged somehow. We might begin having the same nightmares,

But can we help Kaitlin?

We could certainly try. But... I'd have to reveal myself. And I'm not quite ready for things to go to shit.

Okay... how about tomorrow?

Seriously?

W-well, I mean, we have to help her, right? Cuz she's in uh... mental pain and stuff. You know?

Fine. Tomorrow. In the clearing, the one where we train.

Okay. Thank you, Blight.

Mmhmm.

We walked over to The creeper, who was now talking exitedly with Tall guy.

"... redstone circuit for energy."

"But it'll be slower."

"Well... yeah, but more efficient. We don't need to keep an eye on it to make sure the coal doesn't run out and such. It can stay in the air without any assistance from the crew."

"Okay... what will we need?"

"Another balloon. And birch. Lots of birch."

"Okay... we'll get to logging soon."

Eba's hands pricked exitedly at the thought of logging.

Why do you do that?

Do what?

Get exited over cutting trees.

Well, I like it. It's... good exercise and stuff. It makes me feel strong. Like Thomas.

Am I allowed to rot one of them?

Uh... as long as you do so discreetly.

The only way I know how.

Eba giggled, and Thomas turned to face her with a smile.

"What's so funny?" Eba's giggle stopped suddenly, and she gave the guy a flustered smile.

"Uh... n-nothing. Can I... go logging with you guys?"

Simon smiled at Eba. "Of course. Just be careful, though. I tend to nuke the trees instead of cutting them."

Eba was shocked. Thomas chuckled at her expression. "It's true. He almost blew me up once."

Simon punched him in the arm. "That was your fault. I told you to run."

"Yeah, five seconds before it blew up!"

"It was plenty of time for me to run."

"Yeah, you're a freaking... lightning bolt or something!"

Their banter lasted for quite a while. Eventually Eba walked off towards the edge of the forest so she could draw.

Do you have your sketchbook?

Yeah. I always do, cuz otherwise somebody will want to look through it.

True.

We sat under the shade of a large tree, 'talking' and drawing. Eba let me draw on occation, but my art was never any good. This time, I drew a 'spider'. Looked more like a fat ant.

For those few hours when we did nothing but talk and doodle, I felt happy. At peace. Better than I had felt since I became a demon. Just me and Eba, tracing lines on a piece of paper with a crude pencil. A family.

And this time, I was not going to ruin it.

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Theridas's POV

Pepper had told us she needed to go back home that day. I was honestly confused, just like Ella.

"But why do you have to go?"

"Oh, I have to, babygirl. I can't live here with you guys. I have my own apartment in a different building."

"I thought you lived here now. With me, and Theridas, and lady Anastasia."

"I'd love to, honey, but I can't. It's too crowded for the four of us."

I was leaning against the bathroom's doorframe, watching the exchange.

"No it's not! We can share the bed! There's room for all of us!"

"Aw, that's so sweet. But I can't, dear. Theridas is uncomfortable here, sleeping on the couch, and it's even more uncomfortable with me in there too."

"But he doesn't complain!"

"That's cuz he's a gentleman. Don't worry, sweet thing. I'll come visit."

"Please do. I'm going to miss you."

The young Ghast girl ran up to Pepper and gave her a big hug. The creeper woman returned it with a smile.

"I'll miss you too, babygirl."

I smiled fondly at them. Pepper and I had been talking, and she decided that we needed to have a 'real first date'. So, she needed to go back home, and tomorrow I'd go and, uh... knock on her door and ask her out. Properly.

The beautiful creeper woman stood up and walked over to me, the smile still lightning up her features. "Hey, love."

I extended my hand out for hers, and she took it. I pulled her towards me, pressing our foreheads gently together. It was thrilling to be so forward, scary too.

"I thought you weren't going to call me that anymore, Pepper. Since we haven't had our first date." She giggled.

"Who are you? Theridas would never act so manly." I felt a blush flare up on my face, and my smile turned awkward.

"Uh, I um..." She smiled at my response.

"Ah, there he is. Hello." I chuckled, and she took the opportunity to steal a kiss. It is very exiting to be with Pepper. She's just so... so spontaneous. Like, it's just impossible to read her sometimes.

"Um.. hi, Pepper. Uh... where do you live?"

"Why Don't I take you there? After all, it's dangerous to walk the streets alone in the dark."

"But... you do know I'll be returning in the dark, right?"

She leaned in, a terrifyingly familiar and mischievous grin on her face. "Well... you could stay the night. A girl does get pretty lonely." I gave her a nervous laugh.

"Um... I-I think I'll take my chances with the dark. Heh. Y-you know, to-to not ruin our first date, right?" She smiled, running a hand over my back.

"True, that's true. Okay, then. You drop me off, come back here, it's morning, you arrive and take me to a romantic first date. How about that, hun?"

I smiled back, still a bit nervous. "Su-Sure. I'll, uh, I'll try. Yeah. Yeah, it's going to be fine." Pepper giggled again and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Then she peeked into the bedroom, where lady Anastasia was sitting.

She waved at the tired ex-monarch. "Bye, Miss Anastasia. Hope you get better." The ex-queen smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, Pepper. Have a good night."

Pepper gave her a thumbs up and walked over to pick up her stuff. She was currently wearing some of my old clothes because she took a bath, and her own were in a ball stuffed into one of my shirts. I walked to the door and opened it.

I gestured for her to leave. "Ladies first."

She smiled and left the room, swaying her hips dramatically. "Why thank you, good sir."

We nodded goodbye to miss Brekelbaum (she grunted in return) and walked out onto the busy nighttime streets. Surprisingly, there were few people out compared to most other days. I questioned Pepper about this.

She looked around and then gazed at the night sky. "Well, hun... most people work around here, you know? But everyone just sort of likes to relax during the weekends. Nobody really spends time out on the streets cuz most of them are chilling at home or with friends or something."

I nodded. "How long does the 'weekend' last?"

"Two days; Saturday and Sunday."

"How long does a week last?"

"Seven days. From Monday to Friday."

"What about the days in the middle?"

"Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday."

"Okay. What do you do during the weekend?"

She stopped and leaned against another large stone building. "Um... I usually spend the days either at the park or the library. And the nights at the cousin's bar."

I nodded. "Doing what?"

She looked a bit nervous now. "I like to take walks at the park and, uh, hang out with my friend Kyle at the library and... *ahem*... get insanely drunk at the bar."

"Really? That's it?"

She rubbed her arm, clearly embarrassed. "Weeell... let's just say Joel wasn't the only one who... whored around at night." She avoided my gaze, a blush tainting her pale cheeks.

I smiled and took her hand. "That's Alright, Pepper. You don't have to hide that from me. I, uh... I understand. I guess."

She looked up at me with a confused face. "You... you aren't mad or-or, like, uncomfortable with that?"

"Mmm... no. Why would I be?"

"W-Well, most guys don't like to hear that sort of thing."

"Uh... I... suppose I don't fit in that category, then."

She smiled and enveloped me in an embrace. "No, and I'm very glad." The proceeded to give me a big kiss on the lips. She pulled away and dragged me towards her apartment.

We arrived an hour later at the apartment complex where she lived. It was thinner than miss Brekelbaum's, but much taller and with different shade of grey. Almost blue. Pepper brought me up to the fifth floor and stopped us in front of a room with a red door.

She raised her hands, an embarrassed smile on her face. "Ta-da! This... this is my place." She unceremoniously opened the door and gestured for me to come inside. I gave her a smile.

"I'd love to, Pepper, but uh... remember what we discussed earlier. I... wouldn't want to ruin our date somehow."

She gave me a cute pouty face and nodded. "Ooookayyy... when will you show up?"

"Uh... around noon? Or... a bit earlier? I don't... have a watch."

Pepper giggled. "Okay, Then. Around noon. I'll be waiting." She slowly closed the door with a loving smile. I stared at the door for a while, unable to move. After what felt like an eternity, I snapped out of it and walked back towards my own apartment.

Ella was playing with her dolls, lady Anastasia was sleeping, and the night was quiet. I sat down on the couch, Pepper's absence leaving me hollow. And cold. She was quite warm, for an overworld mob. I dozed off after some time, and dreamt.

I was seven, about Ella's age, perhaps a few months older. I was hiding in a closet, staring out through the small crack between the doors. My father was sitting on the edge of the bed, his face in his hands. I watched for a while, wondering what was going on. Then I heard a knock.

My father stood up and opened the large stone door. The king was standing there, and he gave my father a warm smile. "Good afternoon, Harrius. I hope this is a good time?"

My dad nodded. "Of course, my king. What do you need?"

The king sighed. "Please, call me Fergus. There's... something I need to tell you. This is probably too sensitive for your son to hear."

My father looked around for a moment. "Well, he's not here at the moment. Should we go elsewhere, you reckon?"

The king shook his head. "No, no. This is alright. May I come in?"

He nodded and stood aside. The tall monarch stepped in and pulled a chair over. My father did the same, and they both sat down next to the bed. I could see them both clearly from my hiding spot.

5e king rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm... sorry to hear about Madeline."

My father's eyes clouded over with grief. I kept quiet, wanting to know who Madeline was. "Thank you, Fergus. She... She was a fine woman. I just... wish she could have met Theridas some day."

"This was not her world, Harry. And hers is not ours. However, I'm glad that the two of you had enough time to... reap the fruits of your love."

"Me two, my king. I will miss her greatly."

"We all will, Harry. Did your son know?"

"No, I never told him. And I intend to keep it that way."

"Why? Do you believe you are sparing him in some way? By not telling him who his mother was?"

"I am sparing him. This... this love between two mobs from different realms, it's... this shouldn't happen. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy."

"But was it not real? Did you not love her very much? Did she not love you?"

"Yes. We loved each other dearly. But my son should find a life for himself here. In his own realm."

The king sat back in his chair. "You cannot shape his destiny, Harry. But... rest assured knowing that it is very unlikely for him to ever leave the nether. If he finds love, it shall be right here where he is safe."

"It's not his safety I'm concerned about. I don't want him to feel torn between his home and a potential lover's. It shouldn't have to happen."

"Don't worry, my friend. He will be fine."

My father nodded, a tired smile blooming on his face. "Thank you, Fergus. Was that all?"

The king stood up. "Yes. Oh, and Harry." He stopped at the door, his hands on the stone knob. "Theridas may be from the nether, but he was not born in this world. You cannot keep him chained here. One day, you will have to let him go."

Then he left, gently closing the door behind him.

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Author's Notes

Yay, I finally posted another chapter! I'm sorry it took me so long! I've been busy, and now the chapters are so long, and it's just... it takes a while, okay? :(

I really hope you guys enjoyed it! It seems there is more to Theridas than meets the eye, huh? ;)

Anywho, Thank you all for your time and support. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	43. I Am Blight

Author's Notes

My pityful but heartfelt apology comes in the other author's notes. Sorry. :( like, extra super duper sorry.

Reviews!

ThinMint, I'm glad you like the characters as much as I do! And don't worry about using 'and' a lot. It happens. :P Well, I already apologized, so... :D

GiggiEba, thank you for the support! You'll find out how it goes now. :)

At last at long long last, on with the story!

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Darkness's POV

My generals and I watched as my forces tread the moors towards the closest mob city. It was very boring to watch 11,000 monsters walking in the same direction. Trudy wasn't much help either. She kept asking dumb and annoying questions like 'when do I get to go home' and 'will people die' and shit.

I groaned into the sky. My generals turned to look at me with indifferent expressions. "How long until we get to smell some fresh blood?"

My Poisonaut general, who was standing beside me, leaned in and whispered into my ear. "It takes a long time to mobilize such a large army, my liegé. You must be patient."

I grimaced. "I know it takes time, but for fuck's sake, I've waited a century for this shit. Feel like we should have invested in horses or something."

The Demonaut general chuckled. "That would have sped things along. But, uh, my lord? You... you do realize the ghasts can fly, right? We could mount everyone on there and launch an attack that way."

I shook my head. "See, there's no fun in that. Catching them by surprise. Besides, almost all of their buildings are stone. The ghasts wouldn't do much against them, and there is too many monsters for that kind of assault."

The rest of my generals nodded. Demonaut bowed. "Forgive my mistake, lord Darkness. I will think twice before speaking next time."

I smiled at it. "No, no." I looked around at my generals. "Please, feel free to share your stupid ideas. One does get bored." They all nodded again. I sighed and went back to watching my troops. And then suddenly remembered something important.

"All troops, halt!" Every single monster stopped in their tracks. I cleared my throat. "Argonaut division! I want 200 skeletons to split off! Poisonaut division! I want 200 husks and 200 spiders to split off. Demonauts! I want 200 creepers to split off!"

My monsters did as they were told, each patrol stepping away from the rest. "Now, I want these eight patrols to come to me. The rest of you, keep walking! We're burning daylight!"

The 800 monsters and their captains stood before me now, and the rest of my army kept trudging on. "Monsters, I have a task for you. Towards the west," I pointed in that direction, "is a valley surrounded by mountains and filled with emerald forests. In the center, you will find lush moors and beautiful skies. As well as a wonderfully crafted three-story house."

I leaned in towards the captain closest to me. "I want you to burn it to the ground. And kill everyone living there. Do you understand?"

All 800 monsters nodded. "Good. Go now." I turned to my royal servant, who was busy toying gently with a flower. "Trudy."

The blaze jumped. "Y-yes, m-my lord?"

"Come on. We're going to the nether."

"Wh-What? Why?"

"I need some soul sand. I can send my shadow to command my armies."

Trudy nodded nervously. "O-okay."

I sent her through the portal first and took one last look around. This world will be mine soon. And there is no way you can stop me, brother. Have fun with my welcoming committee.

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Eba's POV

I helped everyone with logging the next day. Simon had gotten to work on the mechanical stuff very quickly, and was already almost done with the propeller. I was nervous because of the announcement I had to make.

Don't worry Eba. You told me yourself that none of your friends would hurt you.

We-well, yeah, but... what about you?

I'll be fine. We need to help your friend.

What if we postpone this until tomorrow?

Eba.

Aw... okay, fine. Right... right now?

Yes, right now.

Okay... here we go, then.

I gathered up all of my friends. They had begun asking questions as soon as I asked them to follow me, and I sheepishly told them that I had something important to say. Once everyone was in the clearing, I cleared my throat.

"Um... hey guys. I, uh, I called you here because there's something... something that I need to show you. Um..."

Thomas gave me an encouraging smile. "It's okay, Eba. You can tell us."

I gulped. "I... I really hope so, Thomas. Please guys, don't... don't freak out. Please." I took a deep breath.

Are you ready, Blight?

No. But, uh, when has that ever stopped anyone?

Okay...

I took another deep breath. "I... have a... demon."

For a minute, nobody moved. Then Jack chuckled. I gave him my best death stare. It immediately shut him up. "Oh. You... you're serious."

"Ye-yes. I'm serious, guys."

Simon stared at me with his usual emotionless gaze. "For how long, Eba?"

I rubbed my arm nervously. "Uh... maybe a week? Or... three? Since we got the obsidian for the portal to save Kaitlin."

The creeper boy nodded. "Three weeks sounds about right. Can you prove the existence of this demon, Eba?"

I nodded and extended a palm beside me. Time to show them, Blight.

Yeah. Okay.

I felt Blight's rot-sand trail down my arm and onto the dirt. It began forming one of Blight's shadows, which looked just like Thomas but with light-grey eyes. He gave everyone a little wave.

"Good afternoon. I am Blight."

The 'gang' looked taken aback. Everyone but Simon and Lila. The creeper boy simply nodded. "Afternoon, Blight. Nice to meet you."

My demon nodded with a smile. "I'm glad someone thinks so."

Kaitlin looked mortified. "D-demon? Y-you have a demon???"

I grimaced. "Don't worry, he's a good Uh... spirit."

The blaze girl slowly began to back away. "No no no, you don't understand! H-he killed my dad! Th-they killed my dad!"

Blight gazed at her calmly. "No, I Didn't. Darkness did."

Kaitlin stopped. "Ho-How do you know?"

Blight took a single step towards her. Jack, who stood beside the skittish blaze, stiffened. "I saw it in your nightmares. You've had them for a while, haven't you?"

Kaitlin nodded. "Y-yes. For an entire week." She sort of shrunk, staring at the grass. "Every night I wake up in cold sweat, dreading the next time I have to close my eyes."

Blight took another slow step towards her. "They are about your parents, right? You fear for them."

Kait nodded again. "Yes. Mostly for my mother. I know that Darkness has already killed my dad. But it just... it haunts me."

Please be gentle with her.

I'm trying. But I fear mister skele-guy might start filling me with arrows.

Just don't do anything too sudden.

Blight gave Kaitlin a gentle smile. "I know it does. My... I get my own nightmares sometimes."

Jack gave him a disbelieving huff. "I didn't realize demons could have nightmares."

Blight returned Jack's glare with a steady gaze. "I am not a regular demon. I've changed."

Thomas took a step forwards. "How can we be sure of that, Blight? That you've truly changed?"

It ticked me off that one of my best friends was doubting my demon's word. "I'm still here, you know! I haven't changed. Isn't that proof enough?"

Valory stared at me with distrust. "You never know with demons."

I blinked at her, hurt. "Y-you don't believe me?"

Iza gave me a sympathetic smile. "It's just... kind of hard to."

I plopped down onto the grass, utterly heartbroken. They don't believe me. They think you've taken over.

I told you this was a bad idea.

B-but we only want to help! Th-that's it! I just wanted to help Kaitlin!

I felt an idea from Blight flow through me. I blinked. Are you... sure that'll work?

No. But it's worth a shot.

Okay. Um... will you be alright?

The freedom will blind me, and you'll feel the same pain from when we met, but I should be fine.

Okay... okay. Let's... let's try.

I stood back up and looked at Thomas dead in the eye. "I'll prove it to you. Watch. Blight's gonna separate from me, and I will let him back in."

Valory gasped. Jack narrowed his eyes. Kaitlin still looked nervous. Simon looked exited, which was weird. I closed my eyes and sighed. "Okay, Then. Go on."

Blight's shadow dissolved and the rot-sand came back to me. I opened my eyes. Blinding pain seared through me, and a sharp throbbing began on my forehead. I watched through watering narrow eyes as Blight's spirit form slowly leaked from my head.

And then the pain stopped. I gasped and fell back down on the grass. It felt weird to not have my demon anymore. I felt empty, and dull. Bligh was floating less than a meter from my face, staring worriedly at me. "Are you Alright, Eba?"

I nodded rubbing my head. "Ye-yes. I'm fine. What about you?"

He looked around at everyone. Kaitlin looked Ike she was about to have a mental breakdown. Simon was smiling lightly. "There's... so much green. So... tempting."

I tried to grasp his smoky form. "Blight, keep it together. Come back."

He turned to me with a worried gaze. "But I'll hurt you."

"And you'll break your promise if you tear down the forest."

Simon raised an eyebrow. "Tempting? Promise? Could one of you elaborate?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. Please be patient. Come on, Blight."

He 'sighed'. "Okay. Are you ready?"

"Yes. I'll be alright."

He returned to my head as fast as possible. It was much less painful than the first time, but it still hurt a lot. I was in a daze afterward. But it felt better to have him back.

Simon walked forward and knelt down beside me. The creeper placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Are you Alright?"

Iza rushed towards us. "Be careful, Simon!" The boy gently nudged her away.

"I'll be fine." He turned back to me and repeated himself. "Are you okay, Eba?"

I stared at him for a second and nodded slowly. "Yes. I think... a headache will come on soon, but... I'm fine otherwise."

Simon noddd and smiled gently. "Good. Now can you elaborate?"

I returned his smile. "Yeah, I think so. Um... step back a little?"

Simon nodded and walked back to his spot, dragging Iza with him. I stood up on slightly uneven feet and let Blight summon a shadow for himself. He stared at Jack.

"Do you still doubt my word?"

"With every fiber in my body."

I unevenly stood between them. "Guys, guys! Please! We just want to help Kaitlin."

The blaze blinked at me. "He-help How?"

I gestured to my demon. "Blight says that he can absorb the nightmares and make them go away."

Simon turned to Blight. "Can you really do that?"

The demon shrugged. "I've never tried. But I know it can be done."

Jack stepped up. "You are not trying any of your voodoo shit on my friend, especially if you don't know if it'll work."

Blight still didn't back down. "I do know it will work. I just don't have any experience in that field."

The stray scowled at my demon. "Same difference, pal. You are not touching a single hair on her head."

Jack was now an inch from Bligh's face. My demon began to back up.

I don't want to hurt him, he explained, We'll lose their trust.

I know. Don't worry.

I walked in between them again. "Please, Jack! We just want to help! Shouldn't Kaitlin decide if she wants to do this?"

We all turned to the blaze princess. She stared at Blight with hopeful eyes. "Can you really make the nightmares disappear?"

My demon nodded. "The memories that caused them will fade with time, but I can effectively remove the nightmares for good."

The blaze stared at the ground for a moment before looking back up. "Will it hurt?"

Blight shook his head. "The process will not be painful to you in any way."

Kaitlin swallowed hard. "Uh... are you Sure? Comepletely sure?"

I smiled at her. "Yes. We're both sure this will work."

The blaze nodded. "How long will it take?"

Jack stared at her with shocked eyes. "You're... you're really letting them do this?"

She nodded sheepishly. "Th-the nightmares... they keep me up at night, always festering and making me cry. I... I really want their help. I Need it."

The stray nodded after a moment of hesitation and backed away. Simon raised his hand. "I still have a billion and a half questions."

I smiled at him, sweat beginning to form on my brow. "Uh... okay. A-ask away."

Simon walked up to Blight. "Why did you say you were tempted earlier? With flattening the forest?"

My demon smiled awkwardly. "Uh... this might take a while. Demons need to absorb life much like humans need to eat. This usually means tearing down fields or forests."

Valory stepped up. "That doesn't explain why you said that only once you where out of Eba."

Blight sighed. "When I... possess Eba... my 'demonly desires' are dulled down by a lot. Mostly because of her self-control. But when I left her, my *ahem* needs became more pronounced. Difficult to ignore."

Jack still eyed Blight with naked distrust. "And those are?"

My demon smiled. "I've already stated that demons need to absorb life. If we don't, a massive headache sets in, which will eventually reduce us to ash."

I gasped. "You didn't tell me you could die from that!"

Blight turned to face me. "I didn't want to scare you more than necessary. I wasn't going to die anyway, so what was the point?"

I gave him a frown. "You should still have told me, Blight."

Simon spoke again. "What kind of demon are you?"

My demon turned to face the creeper. "A... regular demon, I guess."

I spoke up before Blight could continue. "Well, he told me that when demons are born-"

"Spawned."

"... spawned-"

"Or summoned, I suppose."

I gave him a glare. Blight shrugged. "... when demons are spawned, they get a sort of ability. Like, Blight has or is rot. He withers anything he touches except for me."

Simon looked intrigued. "Why not you?"

"Because She is my vessel. When I possess her, she is granted immunity to my rotting effect."

The creeper boy nodded. Lila had sat down and was playing with some grass. She looked like the only one who wasn't put off by this, except for Simon. "Could you demonstrate your abilities?"

I turned to face Blight. "Uh... how?"

Blight pointed to the tree beside me. "Use your rapier. But be careful. Such a large tree could fall and hurt someone."

I nodded and drew my Needlepoint. The tree which Blight was pointing to was quite tall, and old. I deftly stabbed it all the way through. It began to rot from the inside out, cracking and turning gray. I backed up as it fell.

The pleasure from absorbing the ancient oak's life-force was made memshudder. Then my senses cleared. Can't have you drunk with pleasure while we're showing off, eh?

Right. Thank you.

Simon looked very impressed. "Eba can summon things?"

Blight gave him a weird frown. "Well, some things. I am the one who does the summoning, but sometimes I need Eba's help."

"Like?"

"Like when I'm trying to summon a shadow. I usually need her cooperation for that."

"Okay. What else can you two summon?"

Bligh though for a moment. "Weapons. And... armor, too. I can summon pieces of fruit."

My jaw went slack. "We can summon armor?"

Thomas raised his eyebrow, confused. "Pieces of fruit?"

"Yes. And yes. Not invincible armor or anything, but I could probably make something decent. And the pieces of fruit are comepletely edible. I thought it would poison people, but apparently not. It's just regular fruit."

Lila giggled. I was pretty much jumping from excitement. "Could we try to do the armor thing???"

My demon shrugged. "I don't see why not."

I nodded eagerly. His shadow dissolved and the rot-sand came back to me. Light armor first. Chainmail?

Okay. But not entirely chainmail. It looks ugly.

No arguing there...

The dark grey sand flowed from the center of my chest down my torso and legs, as well as my arms. It began forming the armor as it went. Blight summoned light grey metal plates, which stood out against the black chainmail, on my shoulders, elbows, knees and chest. The cheslate was shaped like a heart.

Valory looked pleasantly surprised. "It's beautiful! The contrast in colors, shape of the plates, it looks amazing!"

The armor had a little chainmail skirt that cut short just before my knees with tiny gems embedded in it. I twirled around a little, mesmerized by the glitter of the stones. "Thank you. Blight deserves the credit, though."

Thank you, Eba.

Thank you for the armor Blight. How about a different set?

Full metal?

Um... sure.

The armor switched to a dazzling set of mettallic black plates. The heart shape was still in the center of the chest plate, and more hearts appeared where the light armor plates had been. Valory walked up to me and began feeling the armor plates.

Is... si it safe for her to touch?

Of course. It may be forged from my rot-sand, but it is still just metal.

"This is amazing handiwork! How do you do that?"

I began to feel flustered as the spider felt the plates covering my chest and stomach. "So dynamic and strong." A blush crawled up to my cheeks.

"P-please don't do that."

She giggled. "Sorry. Look, Simon! You know more about forgery than I do."

The creeper boy walked up to me, much to Iza's disdain. He gently calmed her down and asked the slime girl to come with him. She reluctantly greed. Simon began inspecting every armor plate.

"This isn't Iron. Stronger... lighter... doesn't rust... feels... sandy?"

I shrugged. "Blight made it. You should ask him."

My demon made a shadow for himself. "It's because I forged it with my rot-sand. Every metal plate I make has that sandy texture."

Simon nodded. He was inspecting one of the shoulder plates and moved down to my forearm. "Because of it's reduced weight, you crafted it with multiple plates to increase Eba's mobility."

My demon nodded. "You are very smart, creeper."

He grinned at Blight. "And you seem to be great at forging, for a demon."

Valory returned to inspecting the armor on my chest. She rose and a hand brushed my neck. The spider frowned. "Can't you make a helmet to go along with this?"

Blight shrugged. "I could try."

His shadow dissolved, and more rot-sand crawled up my neck and cheeks. The feeling tickled and made me giggle. Soon, a black helmet reduced my field of vision. I took it off.

It covered my entire head with a single plate. There was another light grey heart shape in the center, it's little circular ends the holes for my eyes. It had a single crest going from above the heart to the top of my head.

Valory gestured to take it, and I handed her the helmet. She immediately put it on and posed. "How do I look?"

I giggled. "Very intimidating. Can I have it back?"

She nodded and took it off. Simon nodded approvingly. "Very well made, Blight. But you could have given more shape to the sides, maybe a few outcropping arrowlike formations heading from the front to the back."

The helmet suddenly changed, flat crests forming at the sides. I smiled at Simon. "That means he agreed." The creeper boy nodded.

Eba, I just got an awesome idea.

I could see what he was planning, and it was very exiting.

Ooh, yes please! Let's try that!

Just be careful not to fall over.

I'll be fine. Go on!

I asked everyone to step back a little. Blight's rot-sand began to furiously encircle me, changing the armor I had on. I rose a little into the air. Soon, the small tornado of rot-sand stopped swirling. I could see my friends through thick purple glass. I rolled my shoulders, hearing the clacking of metal and feeling the weitght of my armor.

Valory gasped in astonishment. Simon took off his goggles. Even Jack looked surprised. Everyone began to crowd around me. I raised one heavy hand. Blight helped me with some of his strength. I walked around, testing my mobility. Then I turned back to look at my friends.

I flexed my arms. "How do I look?"

Simon walked up to the armor. I had been at least four inches taller than him before, but now? Now I was almost a foot taller. The creeper boy began inspecting the plates.

"This is... next level craftsmanship. It looks strong enough to survive a half-kiloton blast."

I raised an eyebrow, even though I don't think they could see me. "How much is that?"

He stood back. "Maybe... five hundred sticks of tnt."

I looked at the armor. It was kind of hard to see with the helmet, so I took it off and examined myself. The armor was very slim, and there were cool shapes everywhere. My knees had sharp things on the end of the plates, as did my elbows. The gauntlets had crests on the outside of my forearms.

It got too heavy very fast. Okay... can I take it off now?

Of course.

The armor dissolved and left me standing on the grass. I smiled at everyone. "How did you like that, huh?"

Everyone chuckled. I was bone-tired. Summoning so much left me exhausted and hungry. I turned to Sarah. "Could we... maybe have an early dinner today? As well as our regular dinner?"

The skeleton girl smiled. "Of course."

"Yay!"

Everyone looked quite happy. Even Jack, who had tried to use a poker face. We all walked towards the house. Simon kept asking me questions, which I answered with Blight's help. Valory was talking about ways to 'make the armor look even better'.

Honestly, I was glad with the way everything turned out.

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Theridas's POV

I woke up feeling disoriented, and my eyes hurt. I touched my face to find dried tears on my cheeks. I cried? From what? A... a nightmare? I chuckled to myself. Guess I really miss Pepper, then. I stood up and looked around.

Both Lady Anastasia and Ella where still in the bedroom, sleeping the day away. The late morning sunlight cast shadows with it's golden rays.

Oh, shit. Shit shit shit shit SHIT SHIT SHIT. It's almost noon!

I changed as fast as I could. My cloak stayed, though. I put on a black suit and white undershirt, black jeans, and my 'sofisticated' black shoes. Most of my clothes are black...

I dashed out the door as soon as possible. I freshened up and combed my dark hair, put on some cologne, and essentially flew down the stairs. I barely acknowledged miss Brekelbaum who was sitting on the couch reading another newspaper.

I passed by a lot of stands to get to Pepper's apartment. Some of them sold food, others toys, clothing, materials, flowers...

Flowers. Need flowers.

I hurriedly bought a rose bouquet with my one remaining ring and kept running. I'm going to need a job... I arrived at Pepper's apartment after about a half hour. I quickly combed my hair back in place with my hand and knocked on the door.

The nerves were killing me, and I started to squeeze the bouquet involuntarily. There was a few muffled thumps and a quick series of deep breaths. It made me feel even more nervous. I began pulling at my shirt's collar which suddenly felt much too tight.

Soon, a lock was turned, and the door swung open. I had planned to greet Pepper with a smile but immediately deadpanned, my jaw going slack.

Pepper had tied her hair in a tall, neat ponytail. She was wearing a green v-neck shirt which showed off her cleavage, a brown leather jacket, and tight black pants. Her feet were clad in brown boots, also leather. There was a massive smile on her face.

"Hey there, handsome."

I stuttered. There had been a million ways to greet her going through my head, and I couldn't choose a single one. "H-He-hi, p-pah, y-you... *gulp*... hi?"

She giggled. "Aw, that's adorable. Left you speechless, have I?" Her hand trailed down to her bottom very enticingly. I tried to look away, but my eyes were glued to her body.

"I, um... I'm s-sorry for being late."

She raised an eyebrow. "Late? I barely had time to throw on my jacket."

I smiled sheepishly at her. "W-well, I kind of just woke up, so..."

Pepper giggled again. It was a very soothing sound. I suddenly remembered the roses I had brought her. "Oh, uh... here." I extended my arm out to her.

The bouquet was on fire.

We were equally surprised by this. "Oh, shit!" I tried to put them out by whacking them against the wall, which worked moderately well. All of the roses had been burned to a crisp, but one of them was still standing proudly in the center. It's beautiful red had turned to a matte black.

I chuckled nervously. Pepper giggled again. "Thank you." She took the only remaining rose, snapped off the stem, and tucked it into her orange hair right above her ear. I smiled awkwardly at her.

"I'm sorry about that."

She gave me a hug. "Don't be sorry, love. It's okay. Where should we go?"

I took her hand. "Maybe... lunch? I haven't had breakfast yet."

Pepper smiled. "Lunch it is."

We walked down five sets of stairs and emerged onto the streets. They were just as busy as ever. We wandered around looking for somewhere to eat. Eventually, we came across the cousin's bar. Or, restaurant I guess. The large sign on top of the building remained unlit. It read Los Primos Restaurant Bar

I looked at Pepper. The beautiful creeper woman shrugged. "How about here?"

I grimaced. "I don't have any money. How could I pay for anything?"

She smiled. "I can pay. And we'll get you a job later, how about that?"

I thought it over. "Are you Sure?"

She hugged me again. "Of course. Come on."

She lead me by my hand into the restaurant. There were a few families eating here, and Ronaldo was leaning against the counter. He had a white shirt and black vest on, as well as a little bow tie. He walked up to us.

"Ey, Therisito! Hi Pep! How are you guys?"

We shook hands, smiling all the while. "Hi, Ronaldo. We've been fine, thank you for asking. You?"

He shrugged. "Same old, same old. What can I get you?"

Pepper sat us down at a nearby table. "What do you have today?"

He thought for a moment, "dunno. Let me get the menu."

He dashed away into the kitchen. Pepper held my hand and smiled. "Did you plan anything for us?"

"Uh... n-no. I don't really know how this works..."

"How what works?"

"Dating. I've been a royal servant since I was sixteen, and everything before that was shadowing my father. I didn't really socialize much."

Pepper nodded slowly. "That's okay. We could explore the city. There are some places I really want to show you."

I smiled at her. "I'd love to explore."

Ronaldo came back with two pieces of paper, with the names and prices of dishes written on them. "Here you go. Just call me when you're ready to order, Kay?"

We nodded and he dashed off to attend the other customers. I turned to look at the menu. It listed off many food items and their prices, and I didn't know what more than half of them were. Picadas... club sandwich... hamburger... flautas... hmm.

I settled for a fajita dish, and Pepper ordered a chicken torta. Ronaldo nodded, took our menus, and dashed back into the kitchen. Pepper leaned in.

"You know, we could ask if they're hiring."

I raised an eyebrow. "Ronaldo and... what's his name? Eric?"

She smiled. "Erik, with a 'k'. But Yeah. I work at the bar Monday to Thursday, so we could ask for you to have the same schedule."

I frowned thoughtfully. "I... guess that could work. How do you know they'll hire me?"

Her smile widened. "You see how Ronaldo runs around? You can never have too much help, wether it's at the restaurant or the bar."

I nodded. "Okay. We'll do that, then."

We talked until our food arrived, and kept talking afterwards. She was very curious about the nether, our traditions and such.

"What do you use as currency?"

"We don't have any currency. Most of our riches and gold is used as a method to show Uh... social ranks, I guess. The monarchs use it to decorate things, and couples gift each other trinkets made from it."

"Really? So nobody buys or sells anything? How do you tell apart the rich and the poor?"

I shrugged. "There is no rich nor poor. Everyone trades or helps in exchange for material things. Food is given by the kings, as well as housing and building permits."

She nodded slowly. "So... communism."

I raised an eyebrow, confused. Um... sure. I don't know what that means, but alright."

"What kind of trinkets do couples give each other?"

"Usually rings. Or piercings. Sometimes tools or weapons, as well as armor pieces. Mostly little things, though."

"Like the rings you used to pay for things?"

I lowered my head. "No. Those were given to my dad by the king as a thanks for so many years of loyal service. I... hated having to give them away." I clutched my hand, feeling my fingers where the rings had once been.

Pepper placed her calloused hand over mine. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to upset you."

I smiled at her. "It's fine. Was there anything else you wanted to ask?"

She placed her elbow wide apart on the table. "Have you really never been in a relationship?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Um... no, I have. One. But... it wasn't more dating than just... *ahem, fooling around. We celebrate our 18th birthdays with a ball, usually. I invited some of the castle residents.

There was a maid whom I was very fond of, and uh... we danced for a while. She got bored eventually and lead me to her dorm and, well, that was that. We 'fooled around' for the next few weeks, until she got bored of me."

I stared at Pepper, nervous of her reaction. She didn't look too upset, actually. "So that's why you're so good in bed."

I blinked. "Beg your... pardon?"

She giggled. "I'm sorry, that just popped out of nowhere. You really are good, though. What kind of fooling around did you do?"

I shrugged, suddenly feeling flustered. "Uh... l-lots. I'd... rather not talk about that here."

Pepper shrugged. "Okay. How do you guys survive if there's no water in the nether?"

"We get all of our hidration from the air, kind of like fish with water. Except we don't have gills, we just breathe and... that's it."

"Oh. That's cool, I guess. What did you do for fun?"

"N-Not... not much. I spent most of my time helping around the castle. The few times when I did have fun were during my free days, when I just sort of relaxed. B-but there is plenty to do in the nether. Or so I was told. Again, I didn't go out much."

"Okay... should we go?"

I sighed. The conversation was making me feel very self-conscious. "Alright."

Pepper was already up, and she ran a hand through my dark hair. She was smiling at me. "Come on, flame-head."

I stood up and she lead me out onto the streets once more. We wandered around for a few hours, talking and looking at the stuff sold on the stands. She then guided me to large quartz building that with triangular stone roofs and windowsills.

There was a large stone sign under the main roof; Grand Library.

Pepper smiled. "Come on. I want you to meet one of my friends and then have a look around."

We entered the beautifully detailed building. There were bookshelves everywhere, grand staircases leading up to the second floor. Many people moved about their business in surprising quiet. Pepper dragged me over to the front office.

There was a woman reading a book there. Pepper tapped the desk, and the woman put down her book. She smiled at the creeper woman.

"Hey, Pepper! Come to chat with Kyle?"

Pepper smiled. "Yeah, and I also want to show my boyfriend the place."

The woman looked at me with interest. I gave her a wry smile. She smiled back. "Man, I pity you. What's your name?"

I extended my hand, and the woman shook it. "Theridas. What's yours?"

"Acaria. I'm the head librarian."

I nodded. Pepper began to walk away. "Where's Kyle?"

Acaria turned to her. "Thirty-second row to the right. Bottom floor, fiction."

Pepper nodded and lead me away. There were just so many books! I had never seen such a large mass of them. We stopped maybe a dozen rows before reaching the end at a little table. There was a man sitting at the table, reading a book. Pepper walked up and gently slapped his head.

The man put down the book and smiled at her. "Hi, Pep! How nice of you to come visit."

Pepper smiled. "Hey, Kyle. How are you?"

He shrugged. "I'm good. Finally finished paying back miss Brekelbaum."

She giggled. "Ha! I paid her almost a week ago." The man smiled and stood up. Pepper pulled me closer. "This is Kyle. Kyle, Theridas. Theridas, Kyle."

We shook hands. "Nice to meet you Kyle."

The man nodded. "Nice to meet you too, Theridas."

Pepper gave me a hug. "He's my new boyfriend." Kyle raised an eyebrow.

"Really? How long has it been since the last one? A month? Two?"

Pepper slapped him again, although less gently. "Four. But that doesn't matter!"

Kyle snickered. "I guess it doesn't. Hey, did you know Pepper and I dated for a while a couple years ago?"

Pepper frowned. "You'll never let that go, will you?"

Kyle beamed. "Nope. Still kinda proud about it."

I began feeling very awkward. "Uh... th-that's great." I looked around again. "What is this place?"

Kyle put a hand on my shoulder. "This, my friend, is the Grand Library. It has the biggest and most complete archive of anything and everything. If it ever happened, or someone though about it enough to write that down, it's here."

I nodded, looking around. The golden light filtered in through the blinds on the building's windows, casting a warm glow on all the bookshelves. You could see dust mites floating in the wind.

"It... really is grand."

"Yeah, I know. What books have you read?"

I turned to Kyle. "Uh... none. I- we. We don't read."

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Who's we?"

Pepper took my hand and stood beside me. "Theridas isn't from here. He's a blaze, from the nether."

Kyle raised both eyebrows now, something I hadn't seen before. "Really? From the nether? What are you doing here instead of down under?"

I stared at my feet and rubbed my arm. Pepper saved me again. "It's a touchy subject. So please, drop it Kyle."

The man in question stared at the beautiful creeper woman beside me for a few moments of hesitation before nodding. "Okay. I understand."

I gave him a tiny smile. "Thank you. B-but... I'd like to read. If you have any books you could recommend me."

Kyle's smile returned. "Sure! Let's see..."

He picked out a book from the many on the nearby shelves. It had a grey cover with golden letters written on there; Legend. By Marie Lu.

He passed it over to me. "You can look through it now, or check it out with Acaria so you can take it home. It's the first of one great triology."

I nodded, inspecting the book. It did look quite interesting. "Thank you, Kyle. I think I will check it out."

Pepper squeezed my hand lightly. "Thanks, Kyle. It was nice to see you again. We might end up coming back soon."

The man nodded with a smile. "I'd love that. Have a good day, you two." He then turned back to the shelf and began sorting some oddly-placed books. I turned to Pepper, and she nodded towards the entrance.

We walked up to Acaria, made some small chat, and 'checked out' the book. Then back out to the streets we go.

We wandered the concrete pathways for a while talking between the two of us. Then we came upon an empty dead-end alleyway. Pepper leaned against the wall. I was playing with a little fireball, and she watched intently.

"That's really pretty. What can you do with it?"

I gave it a few shapes; a butterfly, a flower, and a heart. She smiled at me. "Not what I meant, but thank you."

I returned the flame to it's original shape. "What did you mean?"

"I meant, it's potential. What exactly can you do with your fire?"

I shrugged and put out the flame. "A lot, actually. Blaze fireballs have the potential to become more powerful than a tnt blast."

She 'hmm'ed and walked up to me. I extended a hand out to her and summonedthe flame again. She reached out to it. "Careful," I mumbled. She gave me the slightest nod and touched the palm of my hand through the fire.

She didn't recoil or anything, and the tiny flame did not burn her hand. "So... warm."

I grasped her fingers and gave them a squeeze. The flame began to trail up her leather-clad arm towards her shoulder. She gazed at it with naked wonder. "Warm and... pretty."

Pepper placed her free hand over the flame, and it was immediately engulfed by it's gentle warmth. It took everything I had in me to keep the flame at such a low caliber. Letting it go is easy, but holding it down requires real work.

She pulled my hand with both of hers up to her mouth. She kissed it gently through half-lidded eyes. I shivered a little. Pepper smiled and slowly let go of me. The flames on her arms died out.

"I love that. It's so... soothing. And lovely. I like it."

I gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm glad you do."

Pepper snuggled up to me, our backs against the wall. The alley was pretty dark, but some sunlight from the streets still stretched towards us. Pepper gave me another slow, loving kiss on the crook of my neck. I shivered again.

I could feel her smile against my sensitive skin. "I love you, Theridas."

I turned to look into her mesmerizing dark-green eyes. "I love you too, Pepper."

She pulled our mouths together with her arms, enveloping me in a comfortable embrace. I held her hips close to me. After a few heated and wonderful seconds, she pulled away. We were both breathing with a little difficulty.

"Why don't we..." *kiss* "... head over to my apartment..." *kiss* "... and finish this 'conversation' there?" *kiss*

A moan escaped one of us, I'm not sure who. Might've been both, actually. I pulled away "I-I can't. I... need to... take care... of Lady Anastasia... and Ella. Th-They... need some... food."

Pepper drew me back and took every last particle of air from my lungs. Another moan flew out, but it was definitely me this time. She gave me a chance to catch my breath and spoke. "We could... get some food... leave a note... knock on the door... and then run back... yeah?"

I stared at her with lustfull eyes. I just couldn't help myself... sh-she... lords. I hungrily picked up on the kiss. Now she moaned. "I love you..." *kiss* "and your crazy ideas..." *kiss* "come on, then..." *kiss* "let's do this quickly." *passionate kiss*.

After a few minutes, I dragged Pepper away. We wandered the streets looking for someplace to buy food. My girlfriend made it impossible with her little touches and kisses. I couldn't focus on anything.

We ended up buying some very overpriced bread and baked potatoes. We rushed towards the apartment. Pepper pulled out a dirty old pencil from her jeans and scribbled a hasty note on a piece of paper.

I dropped off the food, knocked on the door, and dashed back down the stairs. We actually managed to reach Pepper's apartment in record time. We made out furiously, against the wall, on the couch, the bed...

So, uh... yeah. A lot of heated things happened in there...

And we loved every second of it.

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Author's Notes

I'm so so so so so so so sorry! It took me four freaking days to finish the chapter! Please forgive me! I'll try to do better next time, I promise! D:

ahem*... uh... sorry.

Thank you all for your time, support, and patience. I hope you have a great day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	44. It Sounds Intimidating

Author's Notes

Okay, see, I tried to write and publish this one as soon as I could. Hope you enjoy!

Now, Reviews!

GiggiEba, that's not the only thing Blight can do. But... well, it's the coolest thing. Besides making fruit. :D While Theridas May have been a little bit distracted with Pepper, give him some credit! He thought about both lady Anastasia and Ella before agreeing to anything. :)

ThinMint, yeah. Thank goodness :P I would very much appreciate you don't spoil the story. That's my job! :D

Anywho, on with the story!

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Eba's POV

It was very awkward for everyone to know that I had a demon. But everyone seemed to have warmed up to Blight by the third day. Occasionally, Simon would ask me/him a few questions, most of them related to being a demon.

And we have a new airship! Sort of. We have the parts and everything, but Simon and Thomas want to 'run some tests' regarding the weapons. I mean, everything but the weapons is finished. I already now how to pilot it! (In theory.)

Hence why everyone was gathered around the two guys. Simon was lugging around a long, boxy weapon, and Thomas dragged a large pipe-like thing. The rest of us waited to see what would happen. Simon finally dropped his box-thing and sighed.

"Okay! We are going to test the weapons before slapping them onto the airship. Any questions before we get started?"

Iza raised her hand. "Is it... dangerous?"

Simon shrugged. "It's supposed to be. At least on the business end. Which is why we're gonna test them." Izabell sort of shrank, but nodded.

The creeper boy clapped his hands. "Alright. With no further adue, let's begin. Which one should we test first, Thomas?"

The guy frowned. "Hm... I'm thinking the Gatling bow first. Y'know, cuz the cannon might not fare too well." Sarah stepped up.

"What's that supposed to mean, Tom?"

Thomas gave her a wry smile. "We're not sure if it'll work. The concept is pretty simple, in theory, but, uh... in practice, it might explode."

The skeleton girl gave us a shocked glare. "Explode??? That thing can explode???"

Simon nodded. "That's... kind of the point. The cannon is supposed to fire a heavy metal projectile through the use of a small, controlled explosion focused on pushing said proyectile in a specific direction."

We all gaped at him. Thomas chuckled. "We will explode a ball inside the cannon to push it out the barrel very fast."

Everyone 'ah'ed and nodded. Sarah still looked doubtful. Blight summoned himself a shadow. "If you want, I could test it. If it is dangerous, then nobody would get hurt."

Sarah nodded after a moment of hesitation. Simon picked up the body weapon. "Well, now that that's out of the way, let's get to some actual testing. This is the Gatling bow. It fires lots of arrows with a complex system of dispensers and pistons very rapidly. Commencing test in three... two... one..."

Simon pressed down a button on top of the contraption, and a series of clicks rang out. A few seconds later, a whirring noise started up too. That's it.

Then a few loud clacks were set off. And arrows began to fly from the box's front end, away from Simon. They didn't seem to have a specific target, and coated the forest with wood, flint, and feathers. Simon stopped it after a while.

"Okay... well, that worked. Sort of." He turned to Thomas. "What do you think?"

The guy shrugged. "You're the expert. I think it's arrow spread is too wide."

The creeper boy nodded. "Yeah. I need to work on the barrel. I'm sure the fire rate can be upped as well. But, that shall come later. Time to test the cannon, Blight."

My demon nodded and walked up to Thomas. He picked up the cannon with great difficulty. Simon pointed towards a little wooden stand beside him. "Bring it over here. Let me just go fetch the ammunition."

We nodded and the creeper boy took off. A few minutes later, he came back with a large bulging burlap sack. Well, he sort of dragged it towards us. "Right... here we go." He plopped it down beside the cannnon. Blight nodded and opened the sack.

"How do I load it?"

Simon pointed to one of the metal balls inside the sack, then to the 'barrel' of the cannon. "You pick up one of these cannonballs and pretty much shove it down the cannon. Then."

He pointed to some cylindrical cloth things that were also in the sack and pointed to a little ball at the end of the cannon. "You pull that little ball out and load one of these gunpowder charges into the compartment there. Once that's done, place and light a fuse on that little hole at the top. It should fire in a few seconds."

Blight nodded, and proceeded to load the cannon. It took him a few minutes, where both Simon and Thomas helped him out here and there. Soon, it was ready. My demon sighed and nodded.

"Okay. Stand back, guys. *ahem, beginning test in three... two... one..."

He lit the fuse with flint and steel Simon provided him and stood back. I watched as the sparks consumed the little fuse and entered the cannon. We waited, worry pretty much emanating from everyone.

I dropped to the ground as a sudden roar erupted from the barrel of the cannon. The tree that once stood proudly in front of it now lay in a tragic wreck of leaves, sticks, logs, and splinters. Everyone gasped. There was an annoying ringing in my ears which, thankfully, Blight dulled down.

I stood back up and looked at the cannon. There was a thin trail of smoke coming off the barrel, but the thing itself looked to be in working condition. Simon chuckled.

"Looks like this one was a smashing success. I'll get to work on the Gatling bow later. Thomas, could you help me clean this stuff up?"

Thomas nodded and began picking up sticks. When we began to help, Simon waved us away. "It's alright, guys. You just... go about your day, and uh... yeah. We're just going to test more stuff." He raised his hand before Sarah could speak. "Without. The use of explosives."

Sarah nodded, her mouth a grim line of barely suppressed hatred. I had to hold back a giggle.

Simon should be careful with the way he refers to other people.

Yeah, but that doesn't ever stop him. I think that's another reason why Izabell likes him.

How so?

Well, for example, he seems to always win every argument. Mostly through means of 'intimidation'. The way he talks, moves, his gestures-

I think it's one of the reasons you like him.

No, no no no. He's my friend, just like Sarah and Thomas and everybody else. Just like you.

Hm. What are we going to do today? Sparring?

I'm a little sick of sparring, actually. Why don't we... *gasp* I know! We could try out that big armor thing again!

The what?

The big armor! From when everyone met you!

The Dreadnaught Armor?

... you named it that?

I like it. Sounds... 'intimidating', like you said. Formidable.

It does. And it's better than just 'big armor'.

Let's head to the clearing.

I warped us to our training clearing and looked around. It had gotten increasingly bigger every time we trained, by accident mostly. Either one of us occationally ended up rotting a tree down. While we waited to come down from our high after that, I drew in my sketchbook. Thomas had already gotten me a new one with a blue leather cover.

I stood in the center and waited for my demon to summon the Dreadnaught Armor. Even the name got me giddy with excitement. Blight 'shuffled around' a little before speaking.

Right. This will pretty much drain us of energy after maybe ten minutes. But, like with excersice, employing it over and over again will make it easier for you to use.

Okay. I'm ready.

I felt Blight's rot-sand encircle me like the first time we summoned this set of armor. I began to rise after a while, and felt the strong metal build up around me. It took a few seconds, but I soon stared at the forest through the thick purple glass of my helmet.

I moved around a little, testing the black armor. Blight decorated the edges of every metal plate with purple, and there was now more cool sharp edges. And a sword! A big but surprisingly light longsword sat on a metal sheath clasped to the armor's back.

I drew the weapon. Wrath was carved on it's silver blade. I swung it experimentally, hacking at a tree. It did not rot, but there was now a deep, wide gash in it's thick wood. I took off the helmet with an odd smile.

"This is awesome. But really heavy."

Told you.

I walked around a bit more, occasionally 'attacking' the trees surrounding our clearing. Soon, just like Blight said, it became much too heavy and I felt bone tired. The armor dissolved around me and I fell to the ground. I lay on my back, my eyelids growing heavy.

You shouldn't rest. You might not able to sleep later.

I know... is there... something we could do?

Well... no. *sigh* Nap for a while, Eba. I'll wake you in twenty minutes.

Okay... thank you Blight.

I closed my eyes, allowing sleep to envelop me.

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Darkness's POV

I played with the soul sand for a while, unsure of what to make. It had been three days, and I had already summoned two new monsters. These ones were similar to some of my own, but much greater. More powerful. Bigger.

Trudy stepped through the small nether portal I had my troops set up in my throne room. She had slowly become braver, finally getting used to my presence. I gave her a smile, and she bowed shakily.

"M-my lord, there seems to be a problem."

I raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"

"Y-yes. With the troops. Your generals... they wish to speak to you."

I frowned and nodded. If there was a problem, then it would need to be immediately dealt with. I walked through the purple sheen of the nether portal and looked around. My generals were sending side me, but the troops weren't moving.

I stepped up to my Argonaut general. "Why is my army not walking?"

The shadow I had summoned jumped down from a nearby tree. "There is a chasm present, my lord. We have had to climb this bloody mountain just to keep up with your demands, but now it seems we won't be able to go any further."

I nodded and walked to the front of my army. There was indeed a chasm, but that might have been too vague a description. It looked like a massive giant had plunged his sword deep within the earth. It split the entire mountain in half.

I chuckled at it. "Now this is a chasm. But it is not a problem. Necronauts!"

The entire division of my army roared into the sky. I grinned at them. "I need all my endermen to begin building a bridge to connect both halves of this mountain. Wide enough for everybody to walk across. Move."

They immediately began warping into the chasm and collecting stone. They piled it up at the edge, creating the beginning of a cobblestone bridge. I watched for a few minutes before getting bored. My shadow stood beside me.

"This will take a very long time, Darkness."

"I know. But, alas, I need to be patient. Make sure my armada makes it in one piece, shadow."

I signaled for Trudy, and she dashed towards me. We stepped back through the nether portal. Once there, I turned to one of my monsters. It hissed at me, it's four long legs and thin green body quivering with pent up energy. I smiled at it.

"I need you to warp through the original portal. It is closer to your destination. To the west is a valley. Very pretty, mountains, forests and stuff, and a house. Destroy the house. Some of my troops should be there by the time you arrive."

It hissed again, and sort of crawled towards the fortress's exit. It moved similarly to a spider, but it was definitely not one. I watched as it turned a corner. The other monster growled at me, dry clacking emanating from it's body. I waved it away.

"Shut it. You'll get your chance soon. As will your brothers."

I began summoning another monster as Trudy watched. She always looked uncomfortable whenever I used the soul sand. It made me smile.

I sent her off to keep an eye out for my troops at the mountain. And summoned a few phantoms to have a means of communication connecting me and my little 'mini army' sent to obliterate my brother and his friends. I sent two of them off, one carrying a message.

Send this phantom back once you've received this letter. The other one is for you to send me a letter confirming your understanding and success in reaching the valley.

I sat back and stared at the half-morphed body of my new monster. Tall, one out of four arms. Not yet finished enough for it's skin color to become pronounced, but I knew it would be black. This one would help with the bridge once finished.

And when we're done with that, dear brother, he will be sent to meet you. I'm sure your friends will enjoy his company.

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Theridas's POV

Three days had passed since my first official date with Pepper, and we had two more dates since then, both ending in the same manner. Pepper's just... insatiable. So, here I was, shambling about the apartment looking for something clean to wear to our fourth date. Lady Anastasia watched disapprovingly with her arms crossed.

"Theridas, what on earth are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, my lady, but Pepper and I agreed to meet at the park today, under that big tree. I need to find some clean pants..."

The ex-Queen, stronger now thanks to Joel's medicine, walked up and held my wrist tightly in her hand. I turned to look at her, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. Lady Anastasia frowned at me, annoyance filling her amber irises.

"Theridas, I understand your relationship with Pepper is very important to you, but this tomfoolery must stop. Now that I am fit enough, we should go see the king and warn him of Darkness."

I stared at her, realization and guilt pooling within me. After a few seconds of stuttering, my mouth finally managed to obey me. "I-I'm so sorry, my Lady. I... you're right. I am so, so sorry. We'll go talk to the king right now. But... what about Ella?"

The young Ghast girl poked her head out from the bedroom. "Me? I can stay here. I'll protect the apartment."

We both smiled at her. Lady Anastasia spoke up before I could. "I'm sure you'd be great at defending our apartment, dear. But we shouldn't leave you here alone. Perhaps you should come with us."

I shook my head. "I don't think that's a good idea. I've heard that the king is... not fond of children, and very impatient. Maybe Pepper could take care of her."

Lady Anastasia turned to me, a hint of anger within her gaze. "Do not come up with excuses just so you can play with her some more, Theridas. You have thinned my patience to nothing."

She leaned in, her eyes now alight with rage. "Where do your loyalties lie, Theridas Norton? With a random woman you met on the streets? Or with your ruler for over two decades? When the dust finally settles, who will you side with?"

I gazed at my queen, frozen on the spot with genuine fear. I swallowed with difficulty. This was a dangerous question. Who would I side with? I was still a royal servant for as long as lady Anastasia lived. But... I love Pepper. Is that reason enough to betray my queen?

After a few moments of hesitation, I returned lady Anastasia glare with a steady gaze. I've made my choice. "I am a Blaze. Have been and will be, until my star ceases to glow. My loyalty is to you, Lady Anastasia."

The ex-monarch searched my eyes for any hint of doubt. But she would find none of it. My heart broke in my chest, throbbing with yearning for the beautiful creeper woman I had shared a bed with so many times.

I've made my choice, I told myself. I... have made... my choice. When the dust settles, after the battle has been fought, I will side with my queen.

Another thought swam in my mind. But for now... I will love Pepper. To every extent of the word. I will cherish every moment we share, long after we part ways.

Lady Anastasia finally nodded and let go of my wrist. I bowed to her. "My lady... I shall return with you to the nether after the battle. But for now, please understand. My loyalty belongs to you, but I belong to Pepper. We will deliver Ella to her, then speak to the king."

The ex-queen nodded with a tense expression. "Very well. Put on your best clothes."

I gave her a wry smile. "Um... they're dirty. And... ripped in some places. With a few buttons missing. These are my current best clothes."

She nodded again, and I began to open the door. Lady Anastasia quickly explained to Ella what we were going to do, and the little girl smiled exitedly. We walked towards Pepper's apartment complex in silence.

Once there, the gorgeous creeper woman opened the door with a smile which quickly turned into a confused frown after spotting my companions. "Theridas? What's wrong?"

I smiled gently at her. "Nothing's wrong, Pepper. We just need you to watch over Ella while lady Anastasia and I speak to the king."

Pepper nodded slowly. I had told her what our plan was, so she would be aware of the situation in cases like this. "Alright. How long will you be?"

Lady Anastasia took a step forwards. "Three hours at best."

The creeper woman nodded. Ella was already at her side, hugging her jean-clad leg. I caressed the little girl's head with a smile and turned back to Pepper. "I'm sorry to miss our date."

Pepper smiled and waved me away. "It's alright, hun. This is much more important than a date. Go on, then. Warn the king."

I nodded and began walking away. I heard lady Anastasia give Pepper a curt goodby before her footsteps began to follow me. It took us an hour and a half to reach the king's castle. Guards were stationed there, and stopped us.

Lady Anastasia convinced them, with great difficulty, that we meant no harm to the king. The guards let us pass after we proved to be what we said we were.

The king's throne room was the first thing you saw when entering the castle; a large, empty, white marble room with a tall ceiling, the throne against the wall directly in front of the doorway, and two doors beside it. The king sat in his grand throne, staring at us with naked disinterest.

"Who are you? Why do you believe that speaking to me without a moment's notice is of crucial need?"

Lady Anastasia bowed before the king, something I never expected to see. I bowed as well, and she began to speak. "Good afternoon, king Troyel. I am Lady Anastasia, ex-ruler of the nether-bound blaze clan."

The king scoffed at us. "Really? An ex-queen? Of the nether, no less! Why should I believe such blatant lies?"

Lady Anastasia matched his gaze steadily. "These are not lies, king Troyel. My husband has been killed by a demon, and my people have been enslaved."

The skeleton king narrowed his eyes. "A demon? There hasn't been a demon sighting for fifty years."

Lady Anastasia's mouth became a grim frown. "Then tell me why my husband is dead. Tell me why my daughter is missing. Tell me why I was thrown into a prison cell and left to rot there. Tell me why I had to leave my home behind. Tell me why everything has gone to shit."

The king's stared at us for a while before clearing his throat and answering. "Very well. Let's say I believe you. What is the purpose of this meeting?"

Lady Anastasia stood up. "The purpose is to tell you that the demon is coming here to wipe us out. Every last city and fortress."

The king raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like quite the demon, Lady Anastasia."

"It's name is Darkness. Over the course of the past month, Darkness has slaughtered every monarch from all four nether-bound clans, summoned an army of ten thousand monsters, and is on his way here."

The skeleton king frowned. "Summoned and army? I find that quite hard to believe."

Lady Anastasia stood her ground. "Are you familiar with the clan's history?"

The king let go a smug grin. "Of course. I take advantage of the Grand Library, just like any other citizen."

Lady Anastasia nodded. "Then you must be aware that the nether is home to the biggest untapped supply of raw soul sand, a material used by spirits and demons to create life."

The king sat back in his polished throne. "I'm guessing your demon got into the pantry."

"He is on his way here. My royal servant and I managed to arrive within a week, but that was because we took a shortcut of sorts beneath a mountain. It might take Darkness months to arrive, especially if winter comes before him."

The king nodded slowly. "Alright. You're telling me that Darkness, a demon, is threatening the realm with an army of ten thousand monsters? Hm."

After a few seconds, he nodded again. "Very well. I will alert my army and the other rulers of this threat. You need not be afraid, Lady Anastasia. I assure you, it will be taken care of."

The ex-queen nodded and bowed. "Thank you for your attention, King Troyel."

The king smiled. "You may leave."

We both nodded and left the castle. We were silent the whole way to Pepper's apartment, except for a few moments of conversation just before we arrived.

I had turned to lady Anastasia. "Do you think he trusts us? Do you think he believes?"

My queen kept looking straight forward. "No. I don't think he believes. But for the sake of the clans, I hope he does. Because nobody else will help us."

I stared at the night sky, thinking this over. "I hope he does too. But... even if he doesn't? I will fight. I have run from Darkness, but that hasn't helped. So now I will fight him. To protect those I serve, and those I love."

The ex-queen turned to face me. "By yourself?"

I gave her an awkward smile. "Y-Yeah. I mean, I'd rather not, but... I'll do so if necessary."

She smiled. "I don't think you would be alone. Pepper would fight beside you. She has a brawler's spirit."

A genuine smile pulled the corners of my lips upward. "Yes, She does."

We knocked on her door, and heard some shuffling and muffled cries of joy. Pepper opened the door with a big smile. "Hey, guys! How did it go?"

Lady Anastasia gave her a gentl smile. "It went well, Pepper. We have come to pick up Ella. Where is she?"

Pepper stood aside to reveal a smiling, well-dressed Ella. Her white hair was tied in a long, neat braid that went past her shoulders, draping over her back. Se was wearing a cute frilly white dress, white ballerina-style shoes, and a red bow on her head.

I kneeled down, and the young Ghast girl jumped into my arms. "Hello! Do you like my dress? Pepper bought it for me! And she did my hair, too! Look!"

She showed me her silky white braid. There where small flowers tucked between the white strands. I smiled at the little girl. "It looks great on you, Ella." I turned to Pepper. The beautiful creeper woman was smiling fondly at us.

"Thank you so much, Pepper. I'm sorry we're a bit late."

She gently waved me away. "It's okay, hun. I enjoyed my time with the little one. How about you, sweetie? Did ya have fun?"

She tickled Ella's side, causing the little girl to giggle. "Ah! Stop! That tickles!"

I turned to look at lady Anastasia. She stared at Pepper through unfocused eyes, a sad little frown tugging at her lips. What's wrong? Is she... is she regretting her choice to make me choose a side? Does she finally see Pepper the way I do?

The ex-queen noticed me watching her, and snapped from her stupor. She took Ella's hand and smiled gently at Pepper. "Thank you for taking care of her, Pepper."

The gorgeous creeper woman stood up and tucked her hands behind her back. "It was a pleasure, lady Anastasia. Honestly, I hope we could do it again sometime. Perhaps have a sort of girl's outing."

The ex-queen's smile widened. "I'd love that, Pepper. Thank you again. Have a good nigh."

We exchanged goodbyes (mine involved a thirty-second kiss) and walked towards our own apartment. Ella was chattering exitedly, telling us everything about her time spent with Pepper.

"She even made me a coin! Look!"

She handed over a small, flat, metal circle. The words For Ella where on one side, while the other had a beautiful rose engraved into it. I stared at it in wonder. There was a little hole on the top, as if it was meant to be a pendant.

"She made this?"

"Yeah! She brought me outside and set up a little table with metal thingies, and she melted a little nugget, and it became a coin!"

Lady Anastasia smiled at Ella. "It looks wonderful. You should thank her next time we meet."

"I did! A lot! She was happy, and I was happy."

We entered the apartment and I put down a bag of food on the little table. We stopped to purchase dinner on out way here. Pepper had given me some money so I could 'keep my peeps afloat'. We were supposedly going to ask for a job at the cousin's bar tomorrow.

I ate my share in silence, watching as Ella devoured hers and lady Anastasia gracefully bit into her own. Soon, Ella's excitement died down, and her head began to droop with exhaustion. I gently picked her up and tucked her into bed. Lady Anastasia soon followed.

I couldn't sleep, standing in front of the window and looking down at the busy streets. Then at the star-filled sky. That was what I loved most of this world, the sky. It was so beautiful, bright and dark, in constant motion. Definitely different from the nether.

I sighed and plopped down on the couch. Standing around wouldn't help anyone. Now, all we had to do was wait, wait and hope. Wait for Darkness to arrive, and hope that the king listened to us. That we have a fighting chance.

And that Monsul was wrong about Darkness's sword.

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Author's Notes

Hey! I actually published a chapter in a reasonable amount of time. Good for me, huh? :)

For those who don't remember, Monsul is the nether fortress's blacksmith. He attached a magma-stone to darkness's sword so it would and I quote; "It would shatter the worlds! All of them!" But, only with two Magma-stones. Darkness is missing Kaitlin's stone. FYI.

Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for your time and support! Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	45. The Horde

Author's Notes

I really wanted to write out the 'action scene', so I got to work on this chapter right away. Y'know, cuz excitement. :D Just a heads up, this is two days after the last chapter. Reviews!

Also, I'm so so sorry to not have thanked Ghost2238 for favoriting and following my story! Thank you so much!

ThinMint, I'm glad I was successful with Ella's character! Thank you so much for the praise!

And now, onto the story!

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Third Person Perspective; monster assault group.

The forest was still. The critters that lived in the underbrush were silent. A single skeleton broke through a large thorn bush, scattering the wildlife in every direction. The monster's bones clacked together, and more skeletons followed.

Behind them were rows upon rows of monsters, skeletons, creepers, husks, and spiders. They tore up the gentle forests wherever they roamed, searching for their destination. A sharp cry rang out far above the canopy of the evergreen trees.

The lead skeleton looked up. Two phantoms swooped down, landing effortlessly on the branches of an oak tree. The skeleton reached out to one, which had a small roll of paper strapped to it's leg. It plucked the letter off the phantom and read it.

Send this phantom back once you've received this letter. The other one is for you to send me a letter confirming your understanding and success in reaching the valley.

The skeleton turned to a husk that stood beside it. The zombie groaned, and the skeleton nodded. They both turned to a spider which was currently nibbling some grass. The spider hissed at them. The three monsters nodded.

A creeper walked up to the group and hissed. Now all four monsters nodded. The lead skeleton broke a branch off a tree and stabbed the husk with it, coating the tip in dark blood. It turned the piece of paper over and wrote.

Guhhh grah eurgh hohh

Once the skeleton was satisfied, it rolled the paper back up and tucked it in the little pouch on the phantom's leg. It chirped and took off towards Darkness's troops. The skeleton groaned and the rest of the assault force moved on.

Out of the 800 monsters there, none of them noticed the large green shape staring curiously at them from a mountain that surrounded the valley.

It hissed to itself, trying to soothe it's own bloodlust. If it had a mind of it's own, and enough mental capacity to think, the only thing going through it's head would be;

Soon... soon... soon...

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Simon's POV

We had finished our second airship! And made a few modifications to the Auikyani. It now had a front-facing cannon and two Gatling bows mounted on it's deck. These were the improved versions. The airship could also carry more people now.

Thomas and I couldn't come up with anything to name the new airship, so we wrote Mark II on the side of it's hull. This one had two cannons, one on either side, and three Gatling bows mounted on it's deck. It was also slower than the Auikyani.

Iza and I were pretty much back to where we had been before that overdramatic and frankly quite stupid argument thing. You know, snuggling, little kisses, feeling safe and comfortable in each other's presence, some slime... unintentionally of course.

Z was sitting on my lap as I worked on a little gizmo I had been meaning to finish much sooner. It was a trio of metal tulips that sprung from a small box. A gift for her.

The slime girl was resting her head against my shoulder as she watched me work. I loved the way she smelled. Very fresh. Like flowers, but... not exactly that way. My goggles were hanging around her neck. Under the bright sun, my eyes itched, but here in the shade I didn't need them.

"How do you do that?"

I looked up from the contraption. "Do what?"

"Make So many complex devices. How do you do it?"

I shrugged. "With my hands. And my head. Inspiration helps too. But mostly you."

She blinked. "Me?"

I smiled at her. "Yes. You are my muse. The reason I make things. Like this box."

I placed the final plate where it belonged and pushed a button. The box turned, as planned, into three little silver tulips. Izabell gasped.

"That's amazing! It's so pretty."

I handed her the box. "For you, Z."

She gazed at it in wonder, turning the metal flowers over in her hand. She pushed the button and it folded back into a box. She placed it on the ground beside the root we were sitting on and gave me a big hug.

"Thank you, Simon."

"Youre welcome, Z."

She smiled and rubbed her cheek against my neck like a cat. I stared at the plains happily. Ara was playing with Nightshade next to Valory. Lila was with Adrian (no surprise there), Kaitlin was hanging out with Thomas and Sarah. Eba was just lying on the grass.

Jack had been trying to get to Lila for quite a while, but the cave spider was uninterested. Or at least unaware of what the stray felt like towards her. It's kinda hard to tell with Lila. Right now, the stray was performing target practice elsewhere.

I realized after a few hours that Iza had fallen asleep on top of me. My thoughts and Ideas had kept me busy until then. I shook her gently, trying to wake her up. She opened her eye a crack and gazed sleepily at me.

"What is it?"

I smiled. "We should go home. It'll be dark in a couple hours."

She stretched lazily. "In a couple hours... I have until then to nap on top of you."

I chuckled. "Yeah, but then you won't be able to sleep on top of me. I won't let you."

She frowned. "Aw, why..."

My smile widened. "One or the other, Z. Your choice."

She groaned. "Fine. I'd rather sleep with you."

I slowly began pushing her off. "Come on, then."

We walked slowly towards the house. I heard some rustling behind me, and turned around. A single rabbit dashed past us, out from the underbrush. I stared at the forest, suddenly feeling on edge. Gently, I pushed Iza behind me.

Nothing else occurred. I let go of a deep breath and began walking back towards the house.

An arrow wizzed past my head, barely missing it by less than an inch.

In the blink of an eye, I drew a knife kept in the waistband of my pants and threw it in the direction the arrow came from. I heard a rattle of bones from the forest and began dashing towards home, practically dragging Iza behind me.

She had a hard time keeping up. "What was that?"

"Monsters in the woods! Come on!"

I cupped my mouth with my free hand and shouted at Thomas. "Thomas! There's monsters in the forest! I need my shit! Some help would be nice!"

The guy nodded and turned to look in the direction Z and I came from. His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. "Uh... yeah, some help would be really nice..."

Confused, I looked behind me. There was way more than a few monsters. A skeleton was shambling behind us, my knife stuck in it's skull. There were more than a hundred monsters behind it; skeletons, spiders, husks, and creepers.

I let go of Iza once we reached the house. I dashed into the storage shed and picked up my gear. I would need to make some more explosives soon, since I only had thirteen left.

I pulled on my demo-belt, the sheathes for my shortswords, and the weapons themselves. Then I rushed back out.

The monsters had stopped perhaps 100 yards from us. Everyone had their weapons out, except for Z. I handed her one of my own shortswords. The lead skeleton looked around. Thomas stepped up, wielding a broadsword I had made for him.

"Um... hello. We don't appreciate you trying to murder our friend. So, if you could please get the fuck out of our valley, that'd be great."

The skeleton turned first to a husk and then to a creeper beside him. I could only understand the creeper.

This is valley. This is house.

Groan. Rattle.

Destroy the valley, he said. Explode the house, he said.

Grooooan.

Kill the brother, he said. Kill the friends, he said.

Rattle.

Yesss

The skeleton drew his bow and nocked an arrow into it. Sarah fired an arrow before it even finished pulling the string back. The arrow went right through the skeleton's skull, shattering the frail bone. The rest of the monsters let go of a terrifying battle cry.

I dashed forwards, a stick of dynamite in one gloved hand, the other ready to snap and light the fuse. A husk tried to cut me down with it's sword, and I stuffed the explosive into it's mouth after lighting it. I ran back towards my friends.

Only Sarah and Jack were attacking, the rest of the gang waiting for the monsters to get close. I heard the resonating boom of my dynamite exploding. Kaitlin looked terrified, but she stood her ground. Eba and Blight were beside her.

I felt an arrow dig into my shoulder, but ignored the pain. I drew my shortsword and made a u-turn back towards the oncoming horde. More monsters streamed from the forest, but I didn't turn back.

I swung in an arc, beheading undeads and cutting down spiders. The creepers suddenly looked doubtful of their plan, and were slowly walking backwards. There were too many spiders, and they all tried to jump on top of me. Again, I ran back to the gang.

Lila was now throwing some knives, taking down monsters with each one. Kaitlin looked more prepared, and summoned fireballs in the palms of her hands. The orange gem hanging around her neck gave off a bright glow.

I threw a few more exolosives at the horde, and kept swinging. There were now four arrows sticking to me in different places. Iza was also trying to kill some monsters, and I fought beside her.

Both Thomas and Adrian were now close enough to fight, taking down monsters with powerful attacks from their broadswords. Valory stabbed the husks with her doubleheaded spear, and Eba pierced everything with her rapier.

The sun's glare was beginning to affect my eyesight. The only monsters at weren't fighting where creepers. They were all bunched up at the edge of the plains. But the other monsters didn't cease their attack.

Sarah and Jack had run out of arrows and were using their melee weapons to fight off the horde. Kaitlin was flinging fire like mad, torching monsters and knocking them back. Flames began to appear over her head in the shape of a crown. The gem at her neck was much brighter.

Eba warped beside me, with a cut on her arm. She helped me and Iza fend off some spiders and warped back over to Thomas. I was getting very tired from all this, and the throbbing in my eyes didn't help any.

"Z! I need my goggles!"

The slime girl nodded and handed me the steel-rimmed amber goggles. I put them on as quickly as possible and got back into the fight. Despite their numbers, it seemed that we were winning.

Taking a look around, I noticed that more and more people had arrows sticking out of them, and gashes along their arms and sides. There were just so many monsters. I knocked a spider to the ground and plunged my sword through it's head.

I breathed deeply, trying to focus. There were still at least 500 monsters left, but half of them were creepers. I turned my head just in time to avoid an arrow through my skull. I pulled my sword from the spider's corpse and continued swinging.

At one point, Kaitlin had become a living torch. The fiery crown on her head was still there, but flames were coming off her eyes and hair. The fireballs she threw exploded upon hitting the monsters, and flames flew from her hands like dragon's breath.

Soon, only the creepers were left. Everyone was breathing heavily, and only Kaitlin looked unscathed. I dropped my sword and walked up to the creepers, holding my injured right shoulder. It had begun to throb painfully at some point.

One of them hissed at me, so I hissed back. 'Why have you come here? Who sent you?'

The creeper backed up. 'You understand. You speak.'

'Indeed. Who sent you here?'

'Darkness. He sent us to destroy the house in the middle of the valley.'

I frowned. 'Darkness the demon?'

'Yes. He wants us to kill Thomas, and his friends.'

'You have wasted your efforts. Please, there doesn't need to be any more bloodshed. Desert your king. Live out your days in the wilderness. Turn back.'

The creeper looked at her companions for a moment. Then she turned back to face me.

'Very well. I would like to live in the wild. We will hurt you no-'

Her hiss was interrupted by an earsplitting shriek coming from the forest where the monsters had come from. I clutched at the sides of my head, searching for the culprit. Trees began to fall, snapping as something made it's way towards us.

The creepers began hissing in pain, writhing and backing away from the forest. I could hear senseless hissing emanating from that area.

Then everything went still.

I scanned the forest, wishing I hadn't dropped my sword. For a moment, I saw nothing. Then something caught my eye. There was a single face staring at me from the canopy of the trees. The face of a creeper. It's large mouth was agape in a frown, black eyes with dark green irises staring right at me.

I took a single step back and it disappeared. My heart was pumping madly. I quickly turned around, slid on the grass, picked up my sword, and stood back up. The creeper face hadn't returned. I released a breath and turned to Iza.

Just as a massive green shape leapt into the sky.

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Eba's POV

I clutched at the gash in my side, thankful that Blight was dulling the pain. Simon was hissing at the creepers, probably coming up with terms of peace or something. Kaitlin was beside me, her necklace no longer glowing.

"Are you okay, Eba?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I don't think it's mortal. Iza will heal me up, I'm sure."

She smiled at me and plopped down on the grass. She said something I couldn't quite catch because of Blight.

Something's wrong.

What? Why?

I can feel another presence. A big one. Look at Simon.

I turned to watch the creeper boy run back and pick up his sword in one fluid motion. He was tense, blade at the ready. I stood up with a groan. Suddenly, a massive creeper with four long legs jumped from the forest and landed in front of Simon.

The large creeper shrieked at him, causing the boy to clutch at his head with one hand while the other held the sword tightly.

The creeper shrieked again and headbutted Simon, sending him flying. The boy crumpled to the ground in a motionless heap. Izabell ran over to him, and the large creeper turned to face Thomas.

It shrieked for a third time and crawled forwards. I drew my rapier and warped beside Thomas. He still had his broadsword out, and stood his ground. Kaitlin summoned some more fireballs, Lila had more knives, and Adrian had his obsidian sword at the ready.

The creeper slowed to a stop, an angry frown narrowing it's dark eyes. It hissed and tensed up. Then it jumped into the air. Thomas pushed me aside.

"Scatter, guys! Fucking scatter!"

The creeper came back down where we d been bunched up. It created a massive crater where it landed, and I felt thankful for Thomas's warning. The creeper crawled out of the hole and hissed at me. I took a few steps back.

Blight! What do I do?

Be careful, Eba. Warp out of the way if it jumps again.

How do we kill it??? It's huge!

The Dreadnaught armor.

B-but... I still can't use it for too long! And the creeper is still much bigger!

Fifteen minutes is enough. You can do this, Eba.

Okay... okay... okay. I will. Let's do this.

The creeper shrieked as Blight's rot-sand enveloped me. I could barely see it through the gray tornado, and watched as it jumped. I warped away before the armor was finished because if I did so after, I would warp without the armor. I had tried once.

The purple glass of the helmet was in place before the creeper could land. I drew Wrath, the longsword strapped to the armor's back, and charged. The creeper crawled towards me, hissing all the way. I swung at it's long neck, but it twisted away from the blow.

It butted my chest painfully with it's head, pushing me back. I punched it's face with my left fist since my right was holding the longsword. It shrieked in pain, crawling backwards. I swung again, catching it's front left leg.

The creeper swung it's head at me, knocking me off-balance and almost bringing me to the ground. I swung Wrath once more, grazing the creeper's long neck. It shrieked again and jumped back onto the sky. I ran out of the way before it landed.

Everyone who could attack from range did so, both Sarah and Jack having picked up arrows from the ground. I kept swinging Wrath, hoping it would cut a vein or something. The large monster hissed and rammed into me.

I barely held my ground but dropped my longsword. I began throwing punches wildly at it. The creeper shrieked and kept headbutting me.

Eba, the sword!

I can't grab it! I won't have enough time to defend myself!

I'll disintegrate it, then reforge it on your back. Be ready to swing!

The mutant creeper tried to ram my head in, and I stopped it with both my hands. The glass of my helmet was cracking on the edges due to previous headbutts. The creeper's strength pushed me back, making my armored feet slide on the grass.

My hands held back the creeper's face on either side, clutching it as the monster kept pushing me back. If I tripped on something now, it would be on me before I could blink. I could hear Blight's rot-sand creating Wrath back onto my back.

Now, Eba!

I gave the creeper one last push and used my left hand to draw Wrath while my right stayed on it's face. I brought down the longsword as quickly as I could. The cool silver metal dug into the creeper's neck, almost cutting it in half.

The monster let go of a gargled scream. I stepped back and watched as it writhed in pain. Then it just froze on the spot. It began to hiss rhythmically, it's skin turning pale green. An unseen force pulled me towards it.

I looked around. My friends were also being pulled towards the monster. With all my remaining strength, I pulled the closest ones towards me and shielded them with my armor. The mutant creeper's hiss became defeaning, and then it blew up.

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Kaitlin's POV

I dusted myself off and looked around. Most of the creeper horde had run away as soon as the fight with the giant creeper began. There was now also a massive crater next to the house.

Eba was on the ground, her face full of soot. Everyone but Simon and her looked to be mostly okay. The endergirl was closer, so I checked up on her. She was lying on her stomach, black hoodie soaked with blood. I turned her over, and she opened an eye.

"K-Kait? Is... is everyone alright?"

I nodded. "Almost. I'm not sure about Simon. Can you move?"

She slowly began to sit up. "Y-yes... I think I'm alright. I-It's just the cut on my side, that's it. I d-don't think the blast hurt me at all."

I nodded again. "Is that your only wound?"

Eba shook her head. "N-no, I don't think so. No arrows, though. Just a few cuts. You should check up on Simon and Izabell."

I nodded and walked over to the couple. Izabell was kneeling beside Simon, her head resting on his chest. The creeper boy's eyes were closed, and his goggles had been removed. Probably by Iza. She was hugging him gently.

"I'm so glad you're okay."

"Ngh... I'm mostly okay. So please... don't crush me, Z."

I stared at the two of them. Izabell had very few injuries compared to the rest of us. During the attack, I could only focus on myself and the monster horde, but I'm willing to bet that Simon kept taking blows for her. Perhaps for all of us, considering his many wounds.

I turned in time to see Thomas stand up unevenly and walk over to us. "Is everyone alright?"

I nodded. "Everyone is alive. Simon and Eba suffered the worst injuries."

Thomas grimaced. "I'll bet." He was beside the downed endergirl, and bent a little to help her up. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded. "Yes. I think so. Blight says none of the wounds are mortal, and he's dulling the pain, so I should be fine."

Thomas smiled and sighed. "I'm glad." Sarah was now walking over to Thomas.

"Are you okay, Tom?"

He nodded. "Yeah, everyone's alright. I think. Simon and Eba need some tending to, but we're otherwise fine."

The skeleton girl nodded and rested her head against Thomas's shoulder. "Thank the lords."

Blight summoned a shadow and was helping Eba stand straight. "I'm guessing Darkness has been up to some serious shit."

Jack walked over, wiping blood off his shortsword. "Who is Darkness again?"

I swallowed. "D-Darkness is... the demon that killed my dad." I spoke those last four words carefully, hating to speak them. It still hurt too much.

Jack stopped What he was doing. "Oh. Right. Sorry."

I shook my head and mumbled an 'it's fine'. Blight took over explanations.

"I don't know what Darkness intends to do. So far, from what I could gather of Kaitlin's nightmares, he took over the nether fortress. The army that came to wipe us out must have been sent by him."

Thomas looked at the massive crater the large creeper left behind. "What the hell was that thing?"

"A mutant creeper. I've only seen a few mutants before, and just one was a creeper. This was the first time I actually had to fight a mutant. The other times were mutant zombies, and they didn't pay any attention to me."

I walked up to the crater, curious. There was a little green orb thing in the center, atop a mound of earth. I carefully climbed into the crater and walked up to it. Now that I was closer, it resembled an egg. A very large green egg.

I picked it up and put an ear to it's shell. There was a tiny little heartbeat within it's smooth confines. It made my own heart flutter. It was an egg! A creeper egg. And there is a little baby creeper in there.

Gently, I brought it to the side of the crater and placed it on the edge. I had to tiptoe to even reach the edge and push the egg far enough away for it to be safe. Then I climbed back out and dusted myself off once more.

Sarah was looking at me while Blight and Thomas spoke, so I showed her the egg. The skeleton girl raised an eyebrow and walked up to me. The large green egg wasn't as heavy as I thought it would be, but just it's size made it difficult to grasp.

I plopped onto the ground in a cross-legged fashion and placed the egg between my thighs and feet. Sarah kneeled down and put a hand on it.

"Where did this come from? What is it?"

I shrugged, tracing a hand along the smooth green surface. "It's an egg. I found it in the creeper crater."

Izabell had somehow gotten Simon on his feet and was helping him limp towards us. The boy's eyes were locked onto the egg, gleaming with excitement. "Is... is that what I think it is?"

I hugged the globe tightly, placing my chin on top of it. "It's an egg. I found it."

Eba, Blight and Thomas were now looking at me and Sarah. Lila and Adrian were walking closer. The cave spider had a goofy smile on.

"Was that a great fight or what?"

Eba groaned, and Blight huffed. "I'd say or what. There was nothing great about this assault."

Lila shrugged. "Nobody died, right? I had fun. We defended our house from a large creeper-spider thing. That makes it a great fight in my books."

Blight grumbled. "I will never read any of your books."

Simon sat on the grass with Iza's help while Lila giggled her head off. The creeper boy's mystified gaze was still held by the large egg in my hands.

"Where did you find it?"

"In the crater. The one the mutant creeper made when it blew up."

"That's... that's amazing." He gestured to take the egg. "Can I?"

I held the green globe closer to me. "But... I found it. It's mine."

Simon smiled. "I'm not going to take it away, Kait. I just want to see it."

I looked at him for a while. "B-But... promise me you won't hurt it. Please."

The creeper boy shook his head. "I promise. Nobody will harm the egg."

I frowned and looked at down at the creeper egg. There was a precious life inside there, it's little baby heartbeat barely detectable unless close to your ear. I sighed and gently handed it to Simon. The boy set it down on the grass slowly.

Iza bell watched with interest as Simon put his ear to the egg's smooth shell. His mouth turned into a tiny smile and he pulled away. I sat nervously as the boy ran his hands all over the green egg, his eyes moving here and there as if testing for something.

Then he picked it back up and handed it to me. "There, See? Nothing happened to it."

I hugged the egg tightly, careful not to break it. "Thank you."

Thomas offered a hand to Simon, and the creeper boy took it. Both Thomas and Izabell helped him to his feet. Sarah was still sitting beside me, and she turned to Simon.

"Will it hatch?"

"I think so. Given time, of course. With proper care, it will grow up to be a healthy and hopefully friendly creeper."

I nodded and looked at the egg in my arms. "I'll take care of it. I won't let anyone hurt him."

Simon shrugged. "Don't know if it's a him. Might be a her, but alright. Why the sudden motherly urge?"

I looked up at him. "Well, I've always liked babies. Even monster ones. Most monsters didn't hurt us, and actually obeyed my father, so I had lots of opportunities to see baby blazes or ghasts. They are very cute."

Simon nodded, satisfied. "Could somebody take over dinner? I don't think I'll be able to do absolutely much except complain for about a week."

Izabell hugged him carefully. "A month. You need to heal properly."

The creeper boy smiled. "I'm more resilient than I look. A week and a half should be more than enough."

Iza smiled too. "Two weeks, or it's bed and soup for an entire month."

Simon mocked a grimace. "I hate soup. Fine, two weeks."

Izabell giggled. Thomas and Blight were helping Eba to the house. Everyone else walked in to help around, but I stayed on the grass holding the creeper egg to my chest. A smile tugged at my lips as I caressed it's smooth surface.

I do like baby monsters, and this would be a great chance to finally take care of one. I just hope to be able to defend it from anything. Most certainly including my friends.

This will be so hard... but I'll do it for you, little egg. I'll do it.

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Third Person Perspective; Monster assault group (stragglers)

Around 120 monsters managed to escape the battlefield. They trudged near silently through the forest, trying to get as far away from their enemies as possible. They encountered the lake in their path.

Some monsters went around it, some swam to the other side. Most zombies that entered the lake could not swim, and drowned. Once at the edge of the valley, the monsters finally stopped. A phantom swooped down and landed beside a skeleton.

The monster's bones clacked together and a spider walked up to it holding a piece of paper and a bloody stick. The skeleton gestured to the phantom, and made a writing motion with it's hand. The spider hissed and began writing.

~ *)_;º {#'¡

The skeleton nodded, and the spider rolled up the piece of paper and tucked it in a little pouch strapped to the phantom. The creature chirped and took off into the sky.

One of the husks walked up to the skeleton and groaned.

The skeleton rattled back.

One of the spiders hissed, and the husk growled at it.

More and more monsters joined into the argument, and soon the different eh... species split off into their respective groups. There was 12 husks, 36 spiders, and 47 skeletons. They wandered the forests, searching for someplace to hide.

The fight was not yet over.

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Author's Notes

Did... did you like it? Was the fight scene any good?

For those that are unaware, the mutant creeper is from the mutant creatures mod for Minecraft. I don't use mods, but I know of a few. I try to research that kind of stuff to make sure I got it right. If I didn't, my bad. :p

And yay! Kaitlin has a pet! Sort of. An egg, at least. And don't worry about there not being a Theridas POV. It's just that nothing interesting happened over there. :)

Anywho, thank you so much for your time and support! Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	46. A Trip To The Lake

Author's Notes

I am so very sorry this chapter was so late. I had been sick, and then had some technical difficulties, but hey! Better late than never, right? :I

Now, Reviews!

GiggiEba, well, Kaitlin is very compassionate, so... :) thank you!

ThinMint, thanks for not spoiling anything. :P thank you so much!

Anywho, on with the story!

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Darkness's POV

I passed through the nether portal to arrive in the overworld, next to my generals and shadow. I ignored their niceties and stared at my endermen building the cobblestone bridge. There was barely any, stretching perhaps two to three meters in length, but spanning kilometers in width. Enough for my army to walk through.

I grimaced and turned to my Necronaut general. "How long has it been since my order, general?"

The armored wither skeleton bowed. "It's been three days, my liege. Progress has been slow. This could take anywhere from weeks to months."

I nodded and turned back to the endermen. "I'm working on a new monster. He will come and aid our efforts in building this bridge once I am finished. Then I'll send him to attack my brother as well."

My shadow raised an eyebrow. "Did you not send an army of 800 monsters to eradicate them? As well as a massive bloody creeper?"

I nodded. "Indeed. However, I received a letter through a phantom. The army, and the massive bloody creeper, are in pieces. The few monsters remaining said they would try to slay them either way. Except the creepers. They all ran off."

My Demonaut general frowned in surprise. "They ran off? Why?"

"Apparently, my brother has encountered a whisperer. A Creeper, no less. I'm honestly quite glad the mutant creeper was too stupid to be controlled. It'd be a pain in the ass if it turned against us."

My generals nodded, yet my shadow looked a bit ruffled. "So we cant send any creepers against them?"

I chuckled. "In theory, we shouldn't even send monsters against the clans. There are far more whisperers than you'd imagine. But, their little chants and funny noises cannot bend a will that is already broken."

I turned to face the shadow with a smile. "When the fight begins, I will shatter the earth. Split the mountains. Break the sky. The monsters will be under my command. No whisperer will be able to stop them."

My shadow nodded. "Your victory is certain, then."

I grimaced, my good mood killed by his carefree attitude. "No. Not with my brother in the way."

My Argonaut general stepped forward. "Pardon my asking, lord Darkness, but... why don't you go slay him yourself? The monsters couldn't, but perhaps you could."

I shook my head. "I can't. It's been written in stone. If I face off against my brother, the both of us will lose. Unless I am successful."

I began walking towards the nether portal again. "If everything goes according to plan, then my brother's days are numbered. Soon, we will rule all the realms."

I stepped through the thin violet screen of the portal. "And no one will be able to stop me."

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Sarah's POV

I began placing breakfast on the table, cooked chicken and dandelion salad. Everyone dug in, except Tom. He was looking out the window, as if entranced by something. I walked up to him and placed my head on his shoulder.

He didn't even twitch, so I tried to find what he was looking at. The sky was cloudy and grey, promising downfall soon. I hoped it would be rain, but since winter was closing in, it might end up being snow instead.

There was a single creeper on the edge of the plains. It looked around, as if lost or confused. Then it turned around and went back into the forest. I turned to look at Thomas.

"What do you think it was doing?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe looking for us or something. I think it's best we stay inside today."

"But we need to fill up the creeper craters."

"Those can wait. I'm not liking the forest right now."

"But we're not going into the forest. We could gather dirt and stone from the mountains with the airship."

He turned to me, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You're really hell-bent on filling those up, aren't you?"

I shrugged. "I don't like the way they look. And it's dangerous. Somebody could fall into one and hurt themselves."

He nodded, looking back out the window. "That's true. Fine, we'll fill them up. Who will captain the ship? Eba is in no condition to do so, and neither is Simon."

I nudged him gently. "You help him build it, didn't you? Why don't you captain it? Shouldn't be too hard."

His smiled widened. "Alright. I'll give it a shot. Later, though. Breakfast comes first."

I smiled back at him and followed as he sat at the table. I plopped down beside him and began eating. Simon was distractedly toying with his salad. I frowned and spoke at him.

"Why aren't you eating?" His eyes turned to me slowly, still unfocused. Then he snapped out of it and blinked.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something else. What is it?"

I pointed with my fork at his untouched plate of food. "Your breakfast. You haven't eaten a single thing."

He looked down at the dish set before him. "Oh. Right."

He began eating slowly. Satisfied, I looked around the table again. Everyone looked kinda glum and beaten up. I mean, yeah, we did get beaten up, but still. Maybe a trip to the lake would lift our spirits.

I turned to Thomas again. "How about a field trip, Tom? To the lake? Everyone looks kind of... smooshed."

He nodded and finished chewing a piece of chicken. "Hm... that could work. I guess you don't want to fill in craters anymore?"

I shrugged. "We can do that later. I think the water would calm everybody down. Make them feel better."

Thomas smiled. "Alright then. We'll go to the lake." He turned to speak to everyone. "How does that sound, guys? A trip to the lake? Not to work or do anything, just hang out in the water?"

Kaitlin looked doubtful. "But what about me? Water doesn't affect other nether mobs, but it dulls down our flames when it comes to blazes. We're... sort of allergic, I think. It doesn't hurt us, but we can't use our fire until we dry out."

Thomas shrugged. "You won't need your fire. You can relax with us at the lake, it'll be fine."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "But what about the egg? I can't leave it alone here. And I don't want to risk dropping it in the water."

Thomas frowned in frustration. "The egg will be fine by itself. It's not like it would go anywhere, and nothing would be able to come and hurt it."

Kaitlin shook her head. "I'm sorry. But I think I'll pass. I'd rather stay here and um... protect the house."

Thomas sighed and nodded. "Alright, then. Everyone else, are you guys coming?"

They all nodded, and looked pretty excited. Thomas finished his meal and got up. "Alright, then. Get you bathing suits and stuff, guys."

He turned to the creeper boy still finishing his salad. "Could you call Ara somehow? She could keep Kaitlin company and give her a few tips on how to care for the egg."

Simon nodded. "That's a great idea. I'll try. As soon as I'm done eating."

We all walked up the stairs and into our rooms. Valory and Lila had spent a great deal of time making all sorts of clothes, bikinis and swimsuits among them. I pulled a grey one-piece off it's hanger and changed.

It took a few minutes, but soon everyone was ready. The guys all had trunks (Simon also had a long-sleeved swimming shirt) and most of us girls had one-pieces.

Izabell came down in tan shorts and a green shirt, saying she didn't feel like swimming but wanted to tag along anyways. Eba had swimming shorts and shirt. I asked her about Blight, and she shook her head.

"He says he can't. Because he's still tecnically a demon, and a rot one at that, he could poison the water if he enters. So no, he won't be swimming with us."

I nodded. "Okay. That makes sense. What will he be doing in the meantime?"

The endergirl shrugged. "Talking with me, I guess. He doesn't really do much." She thought for a moment, a flash of grey overcoming her magenta eyes for a split second. She smiled. "At least, not without a little help."

I returned her smile. "I really don't understand your relationship. You need to explain that to me some day."

She giggled while trying her long magenta hair in a tall ponytail. "I'd love to! Blight says he wouldn't mind either."

I nodded, still smiling, and walked over to Tom. He and Simon (who had his arm around Izabell) where discussing more airship plans. _Ugh. Really? Already? _I stood beside Thomas and 'gently' elbowed him. He grunted in surprise and turned to me.

"Oh. Hi, Sarah."

"Hey Tom. You done gossiping with Simon or should the rest of us go ahead?"

He chuckled, taking my hand in his. "Yeah, I'm done." He turned to the creeper boy. "We'll pick this up later, okay?"

Simon nodded. All of us waved goodbye to Kaitlin and began heading off to the lake. Nightshade was perched on Valory's shoulder like a parrot. A bluish-purple, scaly, undead parrot. With a black little cloak thing.

Everybody looked very tense as we trudged through the forest to reach the lake. Once we where out from under the thick canopy of leaves, we all visibly relaxed. Izabell placed a towel on the sand and sat down without hesitation. I smiled.

"Is that all you're gonna do, Izabell?"

The slime girl shrugged with her own smile. "Pretty much. I don't feel like swimming right now, but I might dip my toes in the water later."

"Alright. Well, have fun."

"You too."

I walked over to Thomas. He was picking up flat stones and chucking them at the water. He smiled at me and threw one last stone. "Are you getting in?"

I turned to look at the lake and frowned. The water was Murkier than usual, a tinge of green tainting it's sparkling blue waters. There was also no fish. Or, very few fish.

I pointed at the water. "Look, Tom. It doesn't seem to be such a great idea now."

He stared at the water in confusion for a while before nodding. "You're right. Something's off with it today. It looks... moldy or something, if that makes sense."

I nodded with a frown. "So we just... go back?"

Thomas dipped his hand in the water and immediately pulled it back out. "Definitely. That just feels slimy and gross. I wouldn't want to swim in this."

I sighed and turned to look at the rest of the gang. They were all waiting expectantly for the green light from Thomas, which was rather funny. I gave them a wry smile.

"Um... guys? I think it's best if we don't enter the water. It doesn't look too healthy right now."

Simon walked up to the edge of the water and stared at it for a while. He 'hmm'ed after a few seconds. "They're right. It's filled with algae. That's odd. Why hadn't it happened before?"

I crouched down and stared into the depths of the lake. There were a few fish from what I could see, as well as lot's of plants. And a weirdly shaped rock in front of me. I narrowed my eyes, trying to see it better.

And two glowing, cyan eyes greeted me. I jumped back in surprise as a sickly blue hand emerged from the water, grasping the sandy shore. Thomas was beside me in an instant, his hands curled into tight fists.

Another hand seized the shore, pulling the figure up to the surface. Eba summoned her sword and waited hesitantly for the monster to show itself. The Drowned lifted it's head out of the water, it's eyes and mouth emitting a faint light-blue glow.

Eba swiftly decapitated it, and the headless body of the zombie plopped to the ground with a sickening 'schlop'. We all took a few steps back. Simon hissed, probably without meaning to. "Aw, fuck."

I turned to look at him. "What is it?"

He pointed at the water, his eyes wide. "Look..."

I turned to the murky depths again, this time on edge. At first, I couldn't see anything that would alarm Simon. And then I noticed the lights. Dozens of lights. The same haunting light-blue indicating drowned. A gasp escaped me.

Almost instantly, twenty of the waterlogged monsters began crawling from the depths and onto the shore. Nobody had brought weapons, and we couldn't use any that Eba summoned because they were made from Blight's rot-sand.

The endergirl stabbed, pierced and cut as quickly as she could, trying to keep the drowned from reaching us. A few of them held shells, and one of them even had a fishing rod.

When the monsters had pushed us back to the point that they began burning up, Blight showed up and began slaying them too. And soon enough, the beaches were cleared once more.

Eba was gasping for breath, tired from all of the fighting. Valory walked up to the endergirl and gave her a big hug.

"Thank the lords, Eba. I thought the monsters were going to kill us."

"I-it's fine, really. W-we could have just run away instead."

I turned to look back at the water. I didn't see anything. Then, just as I turned my head again, I spotted another shape out of the corner of my eye. The drowned glared menacingly at us and stood up. It clutched a trident in it's dead, blue hands.

Before Eba could get close enough, it reared back and threw the weapon. It sailed straight towards Valory.

A sharp cry rang out, and Nightshade dived towards the trident. Just before it reached Valory, the phantom swooped in, and the trident pierced her instead. What followed felt as if in slow motion.

Eba warped to and killed the last drowned before it could retaliate. Nightshade fell to the ground, the large trident sticking out of her small body. Valory dropped to her knees, her face a mask of pure horror. I could to nothing but watch.

"No! No, no no! Nightshade!" The spider looked around frantically before her panicky gaze landed on Izabell. "Help her! Please, do something!"

The slime girl, scared half to death, stuttered like mad. "B-b-but I-I... wh-what do... h-how c-ca... th-there's nothing I can do! I-I don't know how to treat phantoms! Or any sort of monster!"

Valory sat beside Nightshade, tears falling down her cheeks. "Please, do something! Anything! We need to help her!"

Then Jack crouched down and placed a hand on Valory's shoulder. "We need to take out the trident. Maybe we could help her then. I need you to hold Nightshade."

The frightened spider nodded and placed her hands on Nightshade's chest. The phantom chirped weakly. Jack wrapped his hands around the trident. Only two of it's prongs had pierced her, on her chest and left wing.

Jack carefully removed the sharp point from Nightshade's wing before tightly holding the trident's handle again. He turned to look at Valory. "I'll try to be quick so it doesn't hurt her much, okay? I need you to keep Nightshade down."

Valory nodded, still in shock. Jack huffed lightly. "Alright. Three... two... one."

The stray pulled the trident out of Nightshade's chest, causing the phantom to shriek in pain. Or maybe it was Valory. He tossed the weapon aside and gestured for Izabell.

"Do you really not know what to do?"

The slime girl swallowed. "Uh... w-we could try poison. L-like, healing potions help humans, a-and harming potions help undead mobs."

Jack turned to Lila. "Could you use your poison to help somehow?"

The cave spider kneeled down between Jack and her sister. "I could try. Since I don't have any knives with me, we can't administer the poison that way."

Valory was hugging herself at this point. "Please, just try. We need to help Nightshade."

Lila nodded and moved so her face was next to Nightshade. She bared a fang and looked at Valory out of the corner of her eye. The spider nodded, and Lila sank the fang into Nightshade's wing. The phantom whimpered a little.

We watched expectantly, but nothing happened. Nightshade raised her head towards Valory and chirped weakly. The spider placed her hand under the phantom's head. She was sobbing quietly.

We could only watch, unable to help in any way. Valory's sobs became heartbreaking chants of sorrow. "No, no, no, no, no... Nightshade... please don't go Nightshade... Don't go... I-I need you... please, Nightshade... please..."

Nightshade let go of a final cry and then went still. Thomas embraced me, and I numbly returned the gesture. "It's not your fault, Sarah."

_My fault? How is this my fau-_ oh. I brought them to the lake. If I hadn't suggested coming here, Nightshade would still be alive. Will Valory stop being my friend? Will she hate me again, like before Nightshade?

"It _is_ my fault Tom. Don't try to tell me otherwise because I know it is."

"You didn't know there were drowned in the water."

"I should have realized it before."

"How? With some insane super underwater vision? It's not your fault. You knew just as much as we did. It's nobody's fault."

Valory stood up, her eyes red and tears still trailing their way down her cheeks, and turned to us. "It _is_ someone's fault." I bowed my head, expecting the spider to point her finger at me.

"It's Darkness's fault."

I looked up in surprise. "Darkness's fault?"

The spider nodded. "Yes. If he hadn't sent his monsters to attack us, there wouldn't have been monsters in the lake. And Nightshade would still be alive." Her gaze softened and focused on me.

"I know you didn't mean for this to happen. I don't blame you for anything, Sarah. I'm sure you would have tried to defend Nightshade if you could've."

I nodded, my heart feeling painfully constricted. "Thank you, Valory. I'm sorry for... for Nightshade."

She looked at her phantom. More tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice cracked. "Me too. I loved her with all of my heart, and will miss her a lot." She wiped the tears off her face. "My widdle phantom giwl."

She broke down again, kneeling next to Nightshade and holding her lifeless body close. The sight wrenched my heart, threatening to rip it in two. Lila hugged her sister tightly.

We walked back home a few minutes later. Valory was carrying Nightshade's body in her arms, in a position that made it look like the phantom was simply napping. Lila was by her sister's side the whole time.

Kaitlin greeted us, and stopped mid-wave when she saw our expressions. We buried Nightshade beside a large oak tree on the edge of the plains. Her body looked small and frail in her final resting place. Valory stopped us before we could cover her up.

"I haven't said anything, guys."

I was confused, but Thomas nodded and stepped aside, so I did the same. Valory walked up to the edge of Nightshade's grave.

"I enjoyed our time together. The days I spent with you were the brightest, and the nights were the prettiest. I won't ever forget you, Nightshade. There will never be another phantom like you. I love you, and will continue to love you, until the end of my days."

She nodded after a while, and backed off as Tom and I began filling up Nightshade's grave. We all sat at the table glumly afterward. We had all changed back to our regular clothes except for Valory. She didn't leave the table at all.

I asked Thomas to sleep with me in my room because I didn't think that I would be able to sleep on my own. Not with the image of Nightshade's death playing over and over in my mind. He agreed numbly. I guess he felt just as horrified.

I changed into my night clothes before Thomas could arrive. He hugged me tightly, and hugged him back. He moved some of my hair out of the way and whispered into my ear.

"How are you doing?"

"Not good. I don't think I'll be able to sleep."

"Me neither. But I agreed to this, right? We should at least give it a shot. We still need to cover up the creeper holes."

"*sigh*... craters. Okay. I'll try."

He gently kissed my cheek and brought me to the bed by my hand. I got up, and he lay down beside me. I curled up and Tom pulled me towards him. I could feel his breath softly stirring my hair.

"Do you feel better now?"

"I don't know, Tom."

"How about... this?"

He carefully rolled me over so my head was resting on his chest. One of his arms was below me, keeping us close. The other held my hand, which was draped over his torso. I smiled at him.

"This is better. But... won't your arm get tired?"

Tom shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "No, I'll be fine." He kissed the top of my head gently. I wrapped my left leg around his, pulling us closer still.

"Are ou sure?"

"Yes, it's okay. I just want you to be comfortable."

"I am. Thanks, Tom."

"You're welcome, Sarah."

His arm that was under me hugged my back. I turned to look at him, but his eyes were closed. His mouth was curled upwards slightly in a contempt smile. I brushed my lips against his, causing Thomas's eyes to flutter open.

"Hm?"

"Nothing. Go back to sleep."

"Mmm."

I giggled softly and snuggled up to him. A faint memory returned, one of us sleeping together in a tree. We had just reached the valley, and when we woke up, the both of us jumped apart. Thomas had fallen off the tree. Back then, I found the thought of snuggling with him indignant. But now, it was soothing.

I closed my eyes, unable to keep them open a moment longer. A faint sigh escaped me and Thomas hugged me closer. I smiled against his chest and sank into the comfortable darkness of sleep.

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Theridas's POV

I woke up with a mild headache. Pepper was sleeping soundly beside me, her orange hair a mess. I looked around, still a bit disoriented. We were in Pepper's apartment, more specifically in her bed.

I got up slowly, moving the covers out of my way. I still had my clothes on, so either we didn't do it, or we did and I decided to sleep in my pajamas for some reason. A shiver ran through me, indicating a reason for the latter to be true.

The window in the living room was a bit foggy, and I wiped the glass from the inside. It cleared up a little, just enough for me to see the busy streets below. People were walking around in coats and heavy sweaters, still going about their day.

After a few minutes, I heard a little sigh behind me and turned around. Pepper was leaning against the bedroom's doorframe, standing barefoot in a fluffy green robe. She simply stared at me, her eyes still half-lidded from sleep.

I smiled at the gorgeous creeper woman. "Good morning, Pepper."

She blinked slowly and stretched a little. "Mmm... good morning, love. How did you sleep?"

I walked up to her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Very well. Thank you." She sighed again and leaned into me. I hugged her close. "How did _you_ sleep?"

She hugged me back. "Satisfied. Comfortable. Warm. You know, nether mobs are much warmer than I thought you would be. Even Ella. I'm glad, seeing as winter is fast approaching."

"Winter?"

She pulled back a little. "Mmhmm. It's a season. We're supposed to have four, but most trees on this side of the world are evergreen, so we don't see autumn very much. Except for the pumpkin harvests and such."

"What are the names of the seasons?"

"Spring, which is the pretty one with flowers and things. Summer, when it's all sunny and hot. Autumn or fall, when pumpkins begin to grow and leaves are supposed to turn brown. Then winter, when everything turns a beautiful white and snow falls from the sky. Also, it's cold. Really cold."

I shivered. "I can see that. I may be able to keep you warm, Pepper, but I don't think I'll be able to keep myself warm."

She giggled. "We could get you some clothes today, if you'd like. How much is Ronaldo paying you again?"

"Fifteen iron nuggets."

"Okay. That should at least be enough for a few warm shirts or something. And a sweater."

"But I have my cloak."

"It won't be enough. The winters here are pretty darn cold."

I nodded reluctantly. "Alright then. Let's go shopping. Should we pick up Ella and Lady Anastasia?"

"Sure. Might as well get them some warm clothing too."

I nodded but neither one of us moved. I chuckled softly after a while. "Maybe... maybe if we let go, we could finally get a move on."

Pepper whined. "But you're so warm and comfortable..."

"It was your idea to go shopping for clothes."

"That's true. Fine." She pulled away, her dark-green gaze locked on me. "Are you gonna change or do you want to go in your jammies?"

I felt a blush spawn on my cheeks. "I-I'll change."

I picked up my clothes and locked myself in the bathroom. Pepper and I agreed that it was probably best that she stopped basically destroying all of my clothing. So now, before she got to do anything, I take them off. That way they are mostly clean and I have something to wear in the morning.

I left the bathroom in a black jacket, red shirt underneath, black pants, shoes, and my dark cloak. It was a dark maroon color with golden trim on the edges. Pepper was pulling up her jeans, covering up her light blue undergarments and slender legs.

I caught myself staring before she could and maintained my composure. As a distraction, I combed my dark hair to the best of my abilities. By the time I finished, Pepper was ready to go.

She wore her leather jacket again, a green turtleneck underneath, jeans, and boots. I smiled at her and began unlocking the door. She had insisted on giving me a copy of her apartment's keys 'just in case'.

We walked to my apartment. Lady Anastasia greeted us kindly. We told her what we had planned for today, and the ex-monarch agreed. Ella had still been sleeping, and Pepper offered to wake her up.

She planted a kiss on the Ghast girl's forehead and shook her gently. "Wake up, Ella. We're going to go buy you some clothes. Come on, babygirl. Wake up."

The young girl stirred and mumbled something that made Pepper smile. "I know, darling, but it will get warmer in the afternoon. And we'll be buying you sweaters and things anyway."

Ella mumbled an 'oookaaaaay' and got up slowly. She and lady Anastasia took a few minutes to change and then out the door we go. Miss Brekelbaum greeted us reluctantly, and we waved in return.

Pepper took us to a lot of different places. The women and Ella took much longer to pick out clothes than I did. However, they kept saying that I should try others, many others, so we ended up shopping for about eight hours.

I was bone tired, but the girls kept chattering excitedly over their new clothing. We arrived at our apartment and I flopped onto the couch. Ella crawled up beside me and sat down. "Are you okay, Theridas?"

I smiled at her. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

She looked at Pepper and Lady Anastasia, who were still talking about the clothes they had purchased. "Okay. Are you going to go home with Pepper today or are you staying with us?"

"What do _you_ want me to do?"

"I don't know. It makes me happy when you and Pepper are here, but it makes you happy when you go home with her. I can see it on your face."

I chuckled nervously. "Uh, really?"

"Yeah. You have a sort of dopey but happy face. You have that face when you come back from your dates with her too. And you're more relaxed."

She touched a finger to her lips for a moment. A blush was crawling onto my cheeks. I knew very well why I got that face. And it did have something to do with Pepper. Ella sighed after a few moments.

"I think I'd prefer you go with Pepper. I like it when you're happy."

A single breathless chuckle escaped me. "A-are you sure?"

Ella nodded. "You still bring us food, and come visit us. And you're happy."

I sighed. "Okay, then. I guess I'll go with Pepper today."

"M-hm."

We spent a few minutes with Ella and lady Anastasia before leaving to Pepper's apartment. The streets were not as busy as they usually were, and more campfires appeared in the alleyways. Pepper was carrying her bags by herself.

"Are you sure you can carry them?"

"Theridas, you are much more tired than I am. If you were to carry even one of these bags, you'd drop to the ground from exhaustion."

sigh* "Alright. But th-that also means no... no lewd stuff tonight. I won't be able to do anything anyways."

Pepper made a mock pouty face. "Aww, please? Pretty please?"

I shook my head. "I mean it, Pepper. It's really hard to keep up with you."

She giggled. "I'm just teasing, love. I'm tired too. But... Y'know..." She looked up at the night sky. "Out of all my boyfriends, you have been the best. In every aspect of life. And the one that has been able to keep up with me for the longest."

I chuckled nervously again, a blush tingling my cheeks. "R-really?"

"Uh-huh. But... don't let that go to your head."

"Ehm... sure. I'll try."

Pepper giggled again. "You'll try? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh, s-sorry, let me rephrase that. It won't."

"Okay, flame-head. Come on, you're practically asleep standing up."

We arrived at her apartment few minutes later. Pepper was right about me being very tired. I took off my cloak and flopped onto the bed. Pepper giggled softly and nudged me to one side. I wrapped her in my arms and pulled her close to me.

She giggled again. "What are you, a squid? Come on, let me go!"

"But you're comfortable. And warm."

"Hey, you can't use my excuses on me."

"Yes I can. Go to sleep."

"Fine. Just... ugh... wait... there."

She had turned around and was facing me. She wrapped a leg around my hip and kissed me. I sleepily returned the kiss. She pulled away a little and snuggled closer.

"Now I'm comfortable. I had fun today."

"Me too. Even if you guys spent way too long shopping."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Okay, Fine. Maybe we went a little overboard."

"A little?"

She giggled again and hugged me tighter. "Yep. Just a little. Good night, Theridas. Love you."

"Good night Pepper. I love you too."

She closed her beautiful eyes and sighed in contempt. I closed my own amber eyes, but it was a while before I slept. I could smell Pepper's hair, could feel her breath on my cheek. It lulled me to sleep.

After some time, I woke up in a dream. Darkness was there, as well as his monster army. Many more people were standing beside me, but Pepper was nowhere to be found. Darkness's mouth was moving, but I couldn't hear anything he said.

Then, he raised his jet-black sword and plunged it into the ground. The grassy plains cracked, and ravines snaked out from Darkness's sword. The dirt and stone beneath me shuddered and split open. I couldn't hold my ground.

The earth cracked and I plunged into it. There was no one there to help me, and I just kept falling. The last thing I heard was Darkness's horrible laugh, and Ella's voice.

"_You... you fell. And nobody caught you_."

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Author's Notes

This took me waaay longer than it should've. And I'm sorry for that.

Oh no!!! Nightshade! Noooooooooooo!

I never know what to write in these bottom author's notes.

Thank you so much for your time, support, and patience. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	47. A Lazy Afternoon

Author's Notes

I'm so very sorry this chapter was so late. And... there needs to be some changes.

I have been publishing chapters much later than I used to, in case you haven't noticed. And it will stay that way, sadly. I don't have as much time as I did before, I've suffered from lack of inspiration, and I've been having technical issues. So, here's the new upload schedule;

Chapters will be up every two days unless they're late. They will usually be 3-6k words long. Aaand... I think that's it.

Now, Reviews!

ThinMint, I'm sorry I horrified you. But I do have to say, I feel somewhat flattered.

GiggiEba, ... Yeah, poor Nightshade. I've always hated drowneds with their tridents and annoying water mob tactics.

ZackTheDemon, thank you so much! I'm glad you like the story. :) I promise to check out yours! And I'll be gentle when reviewing it.

Anywho, on with the story!

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Simon's POV

I set down the _Auikyani_ for the last time this afternoon. We had been gathering and dumping off mountain dirt, which by the way is harder and heavier, all day long for the past two days. Thomas was piloting the _MK II_... I think. He wasn't that great a pilot.

Valory had not eaten or slept since Nightshade's death, but she looked pretty determined about it. Which was quite weird. Whenever anyone expressed concern, she waved them off with a smile.

'I'm fine', she would say, 'I have a plan. Don't worry, I'll be alright'. This troubled Lila more than anyone, but she didn't argue or try to convince her sister to do otherwise. She later explained to us what Valory wanted to do.

"I think she's trying to get herself another phantom. You know, to make up for Nightshade's loss. Except this time she has something else bobbing around in her head."

Thomas frowned. "But... she'll be fine, right? This is good? That she's getting over Nightshade?"

Lila sighed. "It'd be good if she was getting over it. But I don't think she is. She loved Nightshade much more than anything else, and she's connected the dot's which point to Darkness killing her. I think she's going to try to kill Darkness herself."

Eba gasped, and Blight appeared beside her. "Are you Sure? That she'll try that?"

The cave spider shook her head. "I think she will. But I hope she doesn't."

Blight grimaced. "We need to keep her from attempting such a thing."

Jack stepped forward. "Do we stop her from doing... whatever she does to get phantoms?"

Blight turned to face the stray. "No. But if she tries anything, like constructing a nether portal or leaving in the middle of the night, we need to find and stop her. Darkness would not hesitate to kill her on sight."

Adrian, who usually stayed quiet during our exchanges, tilted his head. "How do you know that?"

"From personal experience, as well as Kaitlin's dreams."

Kaitlin stepped closer to the demon. "Personal experience?"

Blight nodded. "All demons are spawned with their own vessels. We can abandon them for different ones if we like, or summon shadows. But other demons, and spirits, can remove us from our vessels. That's what happened to me. Darkness destroyed my vessel."

Eba hugged Bloght's shadow. The demon looked a bit flustered, as if he didn't know what to do, and patted her back. Lila crosses her arms.

"So what are we going to do? Nothing?"

Thomas gave her a wry smile. "For now. She looks pretty determined to get a new phantom. We probably wouldn't have been able to stop her if we tried."

The cave spider nodded, and everyone had walked away to do whatever they wanted. Now, I slid down the _Auikyani's_ rope ladder and walked towards the house. Kaitlin, Adrian and Sarah climbed down after me. Thomas was just now setting down the _MK II_, messily getting it in place and dropping the anchor. I chuckled and changed course, wanting to speak with him.

Thomas climbed down and dusted himself off. I waved at him and he gave me a nervous smile. "Hey, Simon. Is... is it normal for the airship to creak when carrying the dirt?"

I smiled back. "That just means you were carrying too much stuff. Was it just creaking or did anything break?"

"I... don't think it did. It was just the creaking that worried me. And uhh..." he pointed to a cream-colored scrape on the side of it's grey hull. "I may or may not have scratched it against a mountain."

I gave him a reassuring smile. "That's fine. I can ask Z to make some more grey paint. You just need to find her some light-grey flowers."

He let go a sigh of relief. "Okay. I can do that."

I nodded and walked back towards the house. I would give the airship a routine check-up anyways, so it wouldn't matter if something broke. As long as the airship didn't explode. Which shouldn't happen, since it uses redstone instead of coal...

Izabell greeted me with a hug when I opened the door. I hugged her back and pulled away. "Z, do you think you could make some more paint?"

"Sure! Which color?"

"Light grey. Thomas scraped some off the _MK II_, so it needs replacing. He will give you the flowers."

"Okay. Tomorrow, though. It's getting dark already."

"Also, think you could help me with dinner?"

Her mouth turned into a bright smile. "Of course!"

I took off my hoodie and goggles, hanging both on a chair. We made the usual, meats, bread, and dandelion salad. We didn't have many kinds of food around here. One by one, our friends began to sit down at the table.

Eba arrived and summoned a piece of melon. She chomped on the slice with relish, stopping to speak with Blight in her head every so often. The demon didn't allow himself into the house, saying he would end up rotting the whole thing on accident. I could tell when they spoke because Eba's eyes flashed grey, the color of Blight's eyes. And the endergirl stared into nothingness.

Lila and Adrian sat down side-by-side as always. The wither skeleton was talking excitedly, something he only did with her. Thomas and Sarah sat down, the latter turning to speak with Eba. Kaitlin sat in her usual spot next to Adrian, carrying the green egg with her.

Soon, everybody was at the table. Z and I finished dinner and began placing the plates in front of everyone. Valory, as usual, didn't touch hers, but she did so excitedly. She was fidgeting in her seat as if about to explode from the sheer amount of energy coursing through her veins.

The spider waited until we were all finished and stood up. She cleared her throat and smiled. "Guys, I would like you all to watch as I perform the Moonlit Dance for the second time in my life."

We agreed nervously (or, they did. I just nodded). She walked over to the door and gestured for us to follow her. We trailed behind Valory in a single-file line, and she eventually led us to a little clearing in the woods. There was a withering tulip in the center of the clearing.

Valory had us sit down on the grass behind the edge of the tree line. "So you don't scare the phantoms," she explained. We waited expectantly as she drew her double-headed spear and got into position.

Milky light bathed the clearing, turning Valory's hair, clothes and weapon into a shining dark blue. She planted her spear next to the tulip with her hands on the handle. She took a few deep breaths and looked up at the moon with a smile.

She danced with an air of confidence, twirling and dancing all over the clearing. Many phantoms began circling in the sky, chirping and shrieking rhythmically. One by one they swooped down and landed skillfully on the branches, until all the trees at the edge of the clearing were filled with them.

Valory never missed a beat, gliding deftly across the grass, skillfully swinging her weapon. After a few minutes, the phantoms began rising into the air once more. All of them began flying towards the midnight sky. Valory finished her dance and stood in the center of the clearing.

The few phantoms left chirped and took off. Valory's shoulders drooped in disappointment. She began to turn away when the leaves of a tall birch tree rustled. She stared hopefully at the moonlit foliage.

A sharp cry rang out from the birch's canopy, and a large phantom emerged from under the leaves. I swooped down towards Valory. The spider kneeled on the ground and placed her hands on her thighs. The phantom circled her once before landing silently in front of her.

Valory smiled uncertainly and extended a hand out towards the phantom. It released it's cry again rubbed up against Valory's open palm. The spider's smile widened.

"You will be Falconheart. I can see fearlessness and courage in your clever eyes."

The Phantom cried out again extending his scaly wings to their max length. Valory caressed their leathery membranes gently and giggled. "You're quite the show-off, aren't you?" The phantom chirped almost happily and shook himself.

She stood up and walked over to us. Falconheart hopped along behind her. We walked in silence towards the house, but everyone seemed happy. Especially Valory. When we entered the forest her phantom flew up onto the branches and followed us by gliding from one to the next.

Once we were out of the forest and at the edge of the plains, both Valory and Falconheart dashed forward, running/flying happily. I took Iza's hand and pulled her along as I ran towards Valory. The slime girl could barely keep up with me, but she tried very hard anyway.

I slowly let go of her hand and ran as fast as I could towards the phantom and its... master? Owner? I'll have to ask about that later. Falconheart began rising into the air as he followed Valory, and then dived while performing all sorts of twists and loop-de-loops and the sort. When he was just about a meter of the ground he opened his wings to the max and began gliding besides Valory.

We slowed to a stop in front of the house and turned to look at everyone. They were walking towards us, chuckling and giggling to themselves. Izabell finally caught up and pretty much fell against me, panting from the effort.

"Why... are you... so fast... Simon..."

I chuckled and gave her a hug. "I don't know Z. I told you, I've always been weird." _And I've always ran from my problems_. The words tugged at my heart, aching to leave my mouth. _I'm fast because I run from all my problems_. Izabell got her breath back and sighed against me.

"You're not weird. You're special. Like, you are the smartest, bravest, and most interesting, mysterious person I know. I like that."

I smiled and tucked that sad voice back into my heart. "I'm glad. I love you, Z."

She giggled and planted a kiss on my cheek, so close to my lips that they brushed when she pulled away. "I love you too, Simon."

Jack opened the door beside us and gestured for everyone to enter. "Come on, guys. You can make out inside. It's getting much too cold out here."

Kaitlin was shivering, the large green egg clasped in her arms. "Y-yes, it's f-freezing. Let's g-get inside, p-please."

Izabell stood aside, an adorable blush tainting her cheeks. I tucked my hands into my hoodie's pockets and smiled at her. She returned my smile shyly and looked at her dirty boots. I nudged her and we followed the gang into the house. Valory remained outside, speaking to her new phantom.

Everyone was walking up the stairs, heading to their own rooms. Izabell took my hand and dragged me to hers. I leaned against the door and stared at nothing absently. Izabell was changing into her night clothes at the edge of my vision, and it took all my willpower to not look at her directly.

She finished changing and walked up to me. I smiled at her, and she returned the gesture. She enveloped me in a tight hug. "I'm glad we're back together. And that you didn't die in the attack."

I chuckled softly and hugged her back. "You and me both. I feel proud to have fought beside you."

She giggled. "You did all the fighting. You wouldn't even let me get close!"

I shrugged. "Well, I didn't want you getting hurt."

"I can fend for myself."

"I know that, but I didn't want to take any chances."

She made a mock angry/pouty face that melted my heart. I tucked some stray strands of hair behind her ears and cupped her cheek. "You are far too precious for me to risk losing." She smiled widely and searched my eyes with her light-green gaze. Her hands reached up and pulled my goggles off.

"It's easier without these."

"What's easier?"

Her smile became uncertain, and her blush returned. "M-making out."

I chuckled and pulled her closer to me. "Don't be shy, Z. I may not want to do anything sexual now, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the feel of you lips."

Her blush deepened, but she simply stared at me through wide and uncertain eyes. I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Why are you flustered all of a sudden? We do this all the time."

"B-but that was... that was just kissing. L-like, 'I love you' kissing. Th-This... i-it's more like 'I want you' kissing. A-and I know you're uncomfortable with that, and I d-don't want you to-to turn me away because I'm being t-too forward."

My smile widened. "I would never turn you away, Z. And why is this an 'I want you' sort of kiss?"

She swallowed and placed her head on my shoulder. She mumbled softly, so quietly that I could barely hear what she said. "Because we're alone in my room. Because everyone else is going to sleep. Because I have you pinned against the wall."

I chuckled and kissed her neck, causing her to shiver lightly. "Oh really? Pinned against the wall?" I quickly turned us around so her back was pressed against the sturdy wooden walls of her room and she was caged by my arms and legs. Her eyes fluttered open and stared at me in shock.

I smiled at her. "It looks to me like _you're_ the one that's pinned."

Her blush covered half of her face, and she began to sweat. "S-Simon..."

I backed off a little. "Remember, nothing sexual. This is just a kiss."

She sighed in disappointment but nodded. I leaned in and brushed my lips against hers. She shuddered happily. "C-could I... convince you? Somehow?"

I smiled against her lips. "Nope. This is non-negotiable."

"Aw..."

I silenced her with my lips, and she responded instantly. After a few moments, she began rubbing my back and arms. I held her firmly in place, careful to avoid hurting her somehow. The kiss lasted mere seconds, but Iza was already sweating slime. I backed off before she could pull me closer.

"Wh-... why did you go?"

"Cuz I don't trust your self-control, Z. You're already sliming..."

"What? Oh... uh... d-don't bring that up."

"I won't. Come on, we need to sleep."

"A-Alright."

I straightened the covers on Iza's bed and brought out a blanket from her closet. She picked out some pillows beside me and placed them neatly in their respective places. I sat on the bed, took off my hoodie and boots, then lay down. Iza was hugging a pillow close as she crawled onto the bed.

Like every time I sleep in her room, Iza placed her head on my chest and sighed in contempt. I caressed her dark hair and closed my eyes.

"I don't understand why you find me comfortable, Z. It's probably better if you sleep on a pillow."

"Simon... we've been over this. You breathe, the pillow doesn't. It lulls me to sleep. And I like the way you smell."

"That's odd, seeing as I didn't shower tonight. Didn't have time."

"Stop finding holes in my excuses! I just like sleeping with my head resting on your chest."

"Alright. Good night, Z."

"Good night Simon."

She turned over so she was facing the opposite direction, away from me. I kept toying with her hair for a few minutes before my eyelids grew heavy. I placed one last kiss on Izabell's head and closed my eyes, letting sleep envelop me.

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Darkness's POV

I was finishing my last monster of the four, shaping it's tiny head. Well, it was tiny compared to the rest of it's body. This would be the most buff monster I've ever made.

I never thought I'd speak those few words.

The bridge connecting both sides of the split mountain was well underway, but progress was _agonizingly_ slow. Even with the help of my previous monster. I smiled, remembering when I had introduced him to my army.

I had walked through the nether portal with a menacing smile. The endermen working on the bridge stopped to stare at me. I gestured at the portal. "Good afternoon. I would like to introduce my newest creation."

Nothing happened for a second. And then a large black hand, as big as myself, grasped the side of the nether portal. My generals gasped in surprise, taking a few steps back. Another hand emerged and clung to the opposite side of the portal's obsidian frame.

A large black head with paralyzing magenta eyes appeared in the center of the large portal, looking around slowly. The monster dragged itself through the portal with its hands, until it was all the way through and could stand properly. I grinned smugly at my generals.

"He will help with the construction of the bridge. His presence should more than double our efforts, don't you think?"

My generals nodded, their eyes still glued to the giant monstrosity standing tall above them. I turned to face it. "Assist the endermen."

The monster gave the slightest nod and teleported into the ravine that split the mountain. Two more arms emerged from it's sides. He lifted four large boulders with his hands and teleported back up to place them on the bridge. He repeated this action multiple times, and then the endermen went back to work.

Now, I called for Trudy. She came dashing into the throne room. "Y-yes, my liegé?"

"Have you received any more letters from the monsters that survived the assault?"

"None, lord darkness."

I smiled and placed the final grain of soul sand in place. The shape hardened, and then began to crack. Trudy watched nervously as the monster broke free from it's spawning prison. I smiled at it, but spoke to Trudy.

"Then perhaps they haven't killed my brother yet."

I leaned towards the monster, who growled softly. The other one, my first, stood leaning against the nether-brick walls of my roofless throne room. It had its arms crossed, still sour that I hadn't sent him instead of the creeper.

I ignored it and spoke to my newest creation. "Let's send them something they can't simply cut down, shall we?" The monster roared, accepting the challenge. It barreled through the portal, and ran towards my brother's valley.

I frowned in surprise. Trudy inched closer. "What's wrong, my lord?"

"It knew where to go without needing to be told."

"Well... maybe it was just dumb luck."

"Perhaps. Go check on my army, Trudy. Make sure that work hasn't stopped."

"Of course."

She walked through the portal and I turned to the monster in the corner. It growled at me, and I chuckled. "Wait your turn. If my brother somehow manages to kill this monster, you can have a go. I know you've been itching to do so."

It growled again and nodded. I shrugged. "Go practice outside or something. There's plenty of hell for you to destroy."

It's bones clacked together for a few seconds before it stood properly and jumped over the wall towards the flaming nether... caverns, I guess. I could hear the sounds of netherrack shattering and 'wild' zombie pigmen squealing. I sat back in my throne.

_Taking over a realm gets boring after a few months. I have all the monsters I could want. All the food and servants I could need. There's nothing else_ _for me to do._

I sighed and kicked my feet up on the armrest of my throne. It had been a long time since I had slept, since I didn't need rest. I closed my eyes, waiting for the stillness that slumber brought with it.

Something poked my side just as I began slipping away. I opened one eye and found my vessel frowning at me. I sat up and realized that I had entered the dream realm. I turned to my vessel.

"See, this is why I don't fucking sleep."

"You need to stop this! It'll be the end of the both of us!"

"Shut up. Everything will go according to plan."

"You can't be sure of that!"

I pushed my vessel against a wall that appeared behind him. Everything was white in the dream realm, but a little dark. As if it were a bleached cavern. I could not summon tools or weapons with my black flames, but I can alter the walls, air density, gravity, and spawn things from thin air.

"I can and I am. So shut the fuck up and leave me alone."

"You know we can't just leave the dream realm."

"But I can do _this_."

I made a wall rise between us, separating me from my vessel. I could hear him sigh on the other side.

"This is bullshit! You can't keep me trapped forever!"

"I have kept you quiet and still for over a century. You would have broken free long ago if you were strong enough."

"Fuck you! It's _my_ body!"

I phased through the wall I had put up and glared at him. "No. You are _my_ vessel. I took over, and therefore it's _my_ body! You will burn in lava, freeze on mountains, asphyxiate underwater, and dehydrate on deserts, but you will always return to me."

I gripped his throat with my hand, pinning him against a wall. He scratched at my arm, attempting to make me release him.

"It doesn't matter how many wounds you receive. You will always heal, always come back. You will die over and over again, suffering each death as if it were the first. But you'll still. Come. Back. We are linked, Herobrine. You cannot escape me."

He closed his white eyes and swallowed with difficulty. "Th-Thomas... will... end... you."

I crushed his throat, enjoying the crunch. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? My brother doesn't even know what he is. His light is fading. He's running out of lives. Not even help from his friends will be enough."

His eyes bulged and he scrabbled frenetically against the wall, trying to free himself. Soon, the light faded, and his pityful struggle ceased. I dropped his body and stepped back, waiting for it to regenerate. "You are just as weak as him. You always have been."

I closed my eyes and leaned against a wall. _I wait impatiently for our battle to begin, brother. I hope you're ready._

_Otherwise, it would be a very one-sided fight_.

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Theridas's POV

I watched Pepper from the doorway. She had splayed onto bed and was stretching luxuriously. Her chest rose and fell in a tempting manner, and I couldn't help but stare. She giggled after noticing.

"Like what you see?"

"You know I do Pepper."

"Well too bad. I'm tired, and I don't want you humping me in your sleep. Stay over there on the couch."

I chuckled and gave her an exaggerated bow. "Of course, whatever you say." I turned around and sat down on the soft, red furniture. Pepper had taken me to explore the city again, but we had stayed out longer than we realized. I lay down in the couch, using the armrest as a pillow and closed my eyes.

I heard some shuffling and opened them again. Pepper had poked her head out from the bedroom and stared at me in surprise.

"What are you doing?"

"Sleeping on the couch."

She 'tsk'd and walked up to me. "I didn't mean it!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the bedroom. "Come on, I'm tired."

I smiled and stood up. She guided me to the bed and flopped onto it unceremoniously. I chuckled and got in behind her. She pulled up the covers and curled up against me.

"I was being serious about the humping though. If you get horny, go into the bathroom and deal with it."

"Same goes to you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You have woken me up multiple times rubbing up against my crotch and moaning in your sleep."

"No I haven't!"

"Yes you have." She was about to retort when I pulled her closer to me. "Just drop it. It's late, let's go to sleep."

"Hmph."

I snuggled up to her, placing my head in the crook of her neck. I know she likes it when I do that. I fell asleep very quickly, and dreamed.

I was nine, my father and I were walking on the bridge that connected the nether fortress to the rest of the nether. I leaned over the edge, staring at the lake of lava below. A few magma cubes were bobbing happily on the glowing substance.

My father placed his hand on my shoulder. "Theridas, do you ever wonder what the overworld is like?"

I dragged my eyes from the magma cubes and stared at him. "Mmm... no. Why?"

He shrugged, smiling. "No reason. Just wanted to know."

I looked back out towards the lava lake. A Ghast and it's offspring were flying lazily from here to there. "Do you wonder, dad?"

He chuckled. "Well, I think about it a lot."

Looked up at him once again. "Why? What's so special about the overworld?"

My father chuckled. "For one, it's beautiful. The colors, the shapes." His eyes grew misty with longing. "The people."

"But I like it here. It may be dull and red, but I like it."

He hugged me gently. "I'm glad you do, son."

We looked on as a ghast and its offspring flew lazily around the massive cavern. My father kneeled down and took my hands in his. "Theridas... I want you to know that I love you. I don't say it enough, so I'll do it now. I love you, son."

I had smiled, confused but happy. "I love you too dad."

He hugged me tightly, and we turned back to the lively nether caverns, enjoying the warmth from the lava lake and each other's company.

My dreams turned to nightmares after that.

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Author's Notes

Huzzah, I have finally finished the chapter! It took me way longer than I wanted it to.

So, in case you haven't read the top Author's Notes, next chapter will be up in two days. Just a heads up.

Thank you so much for your time, support, and patience. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	48. Winter Is Upon Us

Author's Notes

I meant to upload the chapter sooner today, but eh... pfffhere it is!

Now, Reviews!

GiggiEba, thanks for the support!

ThinMint, thank you for not spoiling anything! And for the support. :D

Off The Pizza, Yoink.

Anywho, let's get on with the story!

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Third Person Perspective; Edge of the forest.

The monster landed with a resonating thud on the cold earth. It looked around, wondering if his target was nearby. It had been five days since Darkness had sent him off, and the creature was a little lost. A few pale specks drifted onto it's face, and it began swiping them as they fell.

The monster groaned in frustration. It wandered into the forest, knocking trees and rocks out of its way. A few creepers were roaming the valley, and they scattered like wildlife upon sighting the large zombie. A few skeletons were stitching ragged cloaks together and stopped to stare at the lumbering giant.

It groaned again, the sound making nearby flora shake. It pushed a tree down, it's old wood splintering with ease. There was a small, bright gap between all the trees. The monster placed an open palm to his head, trying to shield his eyes from the glare. Curious, it walked closer.

Now that it was closer, it could see a large wooden building through the thick foliage of the forest. It growled in satisfaction and began stumbling towards it, determined to bring the building down. Darkness would be so pleased. That house would never stand a chance.

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Jack's POV

I stared at the sky as tiny white flakes fluttered gently down. My hands were tucked into my padded jeans pockets. Valory and Lila had made everyone new, warmer clothes. They even made me a new cloak. Kaitlin walked up beside me and looked at the falling snowflakes.

I took a deep breath. "Winter is upon us." I smiled. "I've always wanted to say that."

Kaitlin sighed and shivered. "I don't know how a realm this cold could get even colder."

I chuckled and turned to look at her. "And I don't know how you can complain about the cold with all that on."

The blaze princess was wearing a heavy dark red coat lined on the inside with soft wool. Beneath that was a thick black turtleneck sweater, and beneath that were at least two layers of shirts. She wore the same padded jeans as everyone, and her boots were also lined with wool.

Kaitlin shrugged, hugging herself. "I'm a blaze, not a polar bear..."

"To be fair, we don't have massive lava lakes everywhere."

"That's true."

Eba walked up to us, Blight in tow. I had gotten used to the demon, and he was actually a pretty nice guy. The endergirl opened her mouth and caught a few snowflakes on her tongue. Kaitlin blinked in surprise.

"Why are you doing that?"

The endergirl stopped and turned to look at Kaitlin. "Do what?"

"Stick your tongue out. Doesn't it freeze?"

Eba giggled. "No. They're just snowflakes, and it's not that cold."

"But why do you do it?"

"Cuz it's fun! Try it."

Kaitlin chuckled nervously and took a step back. "No thanks. I'll pass."

Eba shrugged and went back to eating snowflakes. Blight was simply staring at nothing, lost in thought. All the Creeper craters had been filled up, so we had nothing to do at the moment. The airships rested unused in their makeshift airfield.

I walked towards Lila and Adrian, who were chatting under a tree. The grass crunched with frost at every step I took. Soon it would be covered in a soft blanket of wool. The cave spider simply nodded, but the wither skeleton greeted me with a smile.

"Hello Jack."

"Hey guys. Watcha talking about?"

Lila shrugged. "Nothing in partícular."

"Okay. Is there anything you wanna do that I can tag along with?"

Adrian opened his mouth to speak, but Lila interrupted him. "No, not really."

"Ah. Okay. We'll, see you later then." I hid the hurt behind a poker face and walked off. Lila never wants to do anything with me unless it's absolutely necessary. She and Adrian so stuff all the time. But they're just... they're just friends. Why won't Lila give me a chance? Thomas and Simon where discussing something nearby, so I wandered over to them.

"... metal plated roof and walls. The floor could be marble or something. We could get it off the mountains."

"Are you sure the forge won't burn the house down?"

"We can add stone or dirt as insulation so the roof doesn't heat the wood enough to set it on fire."

"Okay... how much metal would we need?"

"Quite a lot. Much more than we currently have."

"Should I organize a mining run?"

"Yes, you should. I think Eba would love to take the MK II for a ride."

I stood beside them. "What's going on?"

Simon pulled the cuffs of his hoodie's sleeves over his leather flint-n-steel gloves. "Thomas and I were planning on building a workshop under the house, somewhere we can forge tools and weapons. And armor. And more complex materials."

I nodded. "What can I do to help?"

Thomas was already walking towards the house. "You could help Eba. Y'know, be part of the crew. We need lots of metal and marble from the mountains. Simon will be piloting the awee... wawi... the other airship."

I smiled. "Sure. I'll go get Eba."

Simon walked over to the airfield, which was close to the forest's edge. "I'll check the ships first to make sure everything is in tip-top shape."

As soon as the creeper boy finished talking, I heard growling coming from the woods. Simon must have heard it too because he stopped. I turned to search the dense foliage and found nothing odd.

Simon backed off. "I officially hate the forest now." He spun and dashed towards the house. The second he turned his back on the forest, a large shape broke through and roared. Everyone stared in surprise as the monster beat his chest with large muscular hands.

Sarah drew her bow and began firing. I didn't have mine, but I pulled my shortsword from it's sheath. The mutant zombie roared again, plucking arrows from its chest, and ran clumsily towards the house. Simon came back out carrying everyone's weapons in a small cart.

The mutant zombie got temporarily distracted with the snowflakes that were still falling from the sky. Simon took the opportunity to dump everyone's weapons on the ground. He tossed me my bow and quiver. I sheathed my shortsword and drew my bow, nocking two arrows in.

The monster growled and abandoned his fight with the snowflakes, heading towards the house once more. I began firing as fast as I could. The zombie didn't seem to care about the arrows, though. It only had eye sockets for the house.

Simon dashed in with his twin shortswords, cutting up the zombie's legs and knees. The monster roared and swiped at the creeper boy, who just about managed to avoid getting caught by the monster's big green hand. Kaitlin was throwing fireballs at the monster, and Lila was chucking her throwing knives at it.

Simon ran back to avoid another blow and lit a stick of dynamite. "Stand clear!" He threw the red explosive at the mutant zombie, but the monster caught it effortlessly. He curled his hand into a fist and the dynamite exploded within. The zombie shook soot of his hand and roared again.

Simon was beside me, shortswords out and at the ready. I turned to him, still surprised. "You gotta admit that was badass."

Simon breathed deeply and got ready to dash back in. "No kidding."

The mutant zombie was getting closer and closer to the house. Thomas and Adrian were attacking the zombie's legs just as Simon had, and the large monster turned around. He knocked Adrian down with a backhanded slap and tried to crush Thomas with a closed fist.

Valory and Falconheart ran at the mutant zombie. The phantom swooped over and around the monster, causing it to become distracted once more. Val used her spear to make more gashes in the monster's leg, but the creature did not fall. Simon took a step forward and stopped.

"We can't beat it like this."

I stared incredulously at the creeper boy. "What do you mean?"

"Neither the arrows or Kaitlin's fireballs are stopping it. Our friends could get killed trying to cut its legs off from underneath. It caught a stick of dynamite for fucks sake! We need to find another way to kill it."

"Maybe Eba could do whatever it is she did with the creeper?"

"Perhaps. Go ask her, I've got another idea."

I nodded and dashed towards the endergirl. She was also attacking the monster's legs, but her rapier didn't seem to do anything. She teleported away just as the zombie brought his fist down where she had been standing.

I stopped beside her. "Eba, could you perhaps do the thing you did last time and get this over with?"

She stared at me with confused eyes for a moment before realizing what I meant. "I'm not sure. I can only use the Dreadnaught armor for a few minutes at a time. And the monster is still bigger than me."

A second Blight appeared beside her. "So was the creeper. I think it's our only chance, Eba."

The endergirl hesitated for a second. She took a few deep breaths and nodded. "Okay. I'll do it."

I turned just in time to see Thomas flung back by a hard blow. He got up almost as soon as he landed and got back into the fight. Kaitlin was in her 'fire princess' mode, flames coming off her hair and eyes, flying from her hands like dragon's breath. The zombie waved at it in irritation.

I could not see Simon anywhere. Arrows, fireballs, and knives kept flying, but the monster simply ignored them. It was almost at the front door.

Kaitlin ran forward and stood between the monster and the house. The mutant zombie stared at her in bewilderment. Kait was scowling fiercely at him.

"You are not going to destroy our house! We live there! My creeper egg is in there! If you want to knock it down, you'll have to knock _me_ down first."

The zombie roared again and took another step forward. The flames coming off Kaitlin rose into the air. She pushed the monster back with massive fireballs, her necklace shining like a thousand stars. The monster growled, backing away from the blaze.

Kaitlin ran up to it again, her eyes not only blazing from the flames coming out of them. The monster roared at the blaze princess, but she didn't even flinch. Kaitlin took a deep breath.

And exhaled a tornado of fire.

The zombie looked just as surprised as everyone else, trying to shield itself with a forearm. But Kaitlin didn't stop, just kept torching the mutant zombie. She ran out of breath soon enough and slumped on the ground panting. Eba teleported to her side, trying to help her up. The flames that were coming off her were gone.

I turned to the zombie. It was wobbling, his charcoal-black arm still shielding it's head. I nocked two arrows into my bow. The monster lowered its arm and took a single step forward before dropping on the ground. All was quiet.

Then it moved. The mutant zombie used its unburnt arm to push itself up, growling menacingly. Eba teleported Kaitlin and herself away, and I started flinging arrows again. We all got back into the fight, except for Kaitlin and Simon. Where the fuck is that creeper at?

The zombie roared and charged clumsily at the house, falling multiple times. A different roar answered it, coming from the opposite side. I turned to see Simon piloting the second airship towards the mutant zombie, the roar probably being the engine coming to life.

The zombie turned a curious gaze towards it and growled. Simon dashed belowdecks, and I could see him behind one of the cannons stationed there. We kept attacking the monster, hoping to distract it enough so Simon had time to fire the powerful weapon.

Valory plunged her spear through the zombie's knee, but it simply kicked her out of the way. I had run out of arrows, so I pulled out my shortsword and ran in to help the rest of the gang. The zombie was a relentless mess of brute muscle, easily capable of overpowering us if it weren't for our supperior numbers.

It swung its burnt hand at Adrian, knocking the wither skeleton to the ground. Lila was beside him in a flash, and I got there a second after. Sure, I was jealous of their time together, but Adrian is still my friend. We helped him to his feet, and he looked around in a daze.

"Where's the sword?"

"The sword?"

"M-my sword... where's it gone?"

Lila bent down and picked up the heavy obsidian broadsword. "Here it is. Don't panic."

Adrian pretty much yanked it from Lila's hands. "I'm not panicking. I just can't afford to lose it."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Lila pulled the wither skeleton away. "He can tell you later, right now we have more important matters to deal with!"

I nodded and got back into the fight. It looked like Simon was taking his sweet time getting the cannon ready. The mutant zombie roared in frustration and knocked us all out of the way. I hit my head hard, and spots were dancing across my vision. Somebody was helping me up.

"Come on, Jack! Get up!"

The sun was in my eyes, and for a second, I thought it was Lila. Blinking a couple times made me realize it was actually Valory. The spider was looking me over worriedly.

"Are you okay?"

I coughed a couple times and sat up. "I think so. Nothin's broken... I'm okay. Wh-... where's Lila?"

Her worried expression turned into a frown for a split second. "She's _fine_. Come on, we need to stop the zombie!"

I stood on my uneven legs and poked around. The zombie was shuffling towards the house, holding it's burnt arm in pain. I reached for my bow, but it was no longer slung over my shoulder. My shortsword was missing too. Valory grasped my hand gently.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Just a bit wobbly, but I'll be fine. How are you?"

"Not hurt. FalconHeart helped me keep my balance."

The large phantom shrieked at the mention of his name, swooping down and landing beside Valory. The spider rubbed his head affectionately and pulled me forward. "Let's go! The zombie!" I picked up an arrow that was on the floor and followed her. She gave me a confused smile.

I shrugged. "It's better than nothing."

Valory almost laughed but kept her posture. She drew two rusty shortswords and gave me one of them. "Come on!"

The zombie had fallen for the umpteenth time, and was slowly getting back up. Valory kept swinging at its legs, and I hopped up on its back. It growled and began turning in place while trying to knock me off with its hands. Valory was still trying to chop off its leg, but the zombie just didn't give a shit.

"CLEAR!!!"

I looked up, and the monster turned in the direction of the voice. The second airship was pretty much right in front of us, and both its cannons had lit fuses. I jumped/fell off the zombie's back, landing on the grass with a dull thud. The zombie roared at the airship.

And the cannons roared back.

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Simon's POV

"... go ask her. I've got another idea."

Jack and I split up, him running towards Eba and I towards the airfield. The mutant zombie kept whacking people away, growling as it did so. I had just reached the _MK_ _II_ when I heard a thunderous roar. I turned around and watched as Kaitlin burned the mutant zombie down.

I thought we had won for a second, but then it got back up. "Ah, shit." I shimmied up the airship's rope ladder as fast as I could. Another roar shook the forests, but I couldn't afford to waste time by looking. Once I was up there, I ran towards the steering wheel and flicked on the ship's engine.

It came to life with a mechanical roar of its own. I pushed the throttle halfway and began turning towards the ongoing chaos. The zombie growled at the airship and I ran belowdecks. The airships were, currently, my proudest achievement, so I always had them clean, operational, and fully stocked.

I picked up four of the gunpowder charges and walked up to the left-side cannon. I dragged the cannon back so it could clear the hull and turned it to face me. The cannonballs I kept right beside the cannons, and I stuffed one into the heavy weapon. This is actually harder than you'd think.

When that was done, I pulled open the compartment behind the cannon and shoved two of the charges in there. I put the cannon back in position and ran to the other one. The zombie used its good arm to bring everyone to the ground. I frantically searched for Izabell.

_Where are you? Please be alright._

When I couldn't find her, multiple thoughts whirled in my head. She's either under the monster, somewhere I can't see her from this angle, or in the house tending to Kaitlin. I decided it was best to hope for the last one to be true and began loading the cannon.

I could see Jack, Valory and her new phantom trying to hold back the abomination threatening our home. I brought out fuses from a box in the back and stuffed them into their slots. I began tying fuses together to make one long fuse connecting both cannons.

The zombie was almost at the house, but it suddenly started dancing in place, reaching at its back.i snapped my fingers next to the fuse, waiting for a spark to fly from my gloves.

_Come on, come on! Whenever it's important these stupid things just won't-_

The fuse caught fire, making me jump back in surprise. The thin strings of paper were burning up fast. I leaned out the window where one of the cannons was stationed and shouted at the top of my lungs.

"CLEAR!!!"

I immediately jumped back and covered my ears. The zombie roared at the airship, and mere seconds later, the cannons fired. The thunderous boom of the cannons left a painful ringing in my ears. I stood up to the best of my abilities and shuffled over to the window.

The zombie was sprawled on the floor, the two cannonballs lodged in it's chest. I breathed a sigh of relief. My whole body felt as if it was going to collapse on itself. I stared from my vantage point in the sky, looking to see if nobody had gotten hurt. Or, seriously hurt at least.

And then the zombie got back up. It rolled slowly until it was face down and pushed itself up with its good arm. The zombie was growling menacingly. I couldn't believe my eyes.

_Motherfucker just won't stay dead..._

I scrambled up the stairs and got behind the wheel. The zombie roared once more. I willed the airship to rise faster. The monster was limping towards the house, still determined to bring it down. Once I was far enough, I left the wheel and walked unevenly towards one of the Gatling bows.

The zombie fell with a loud and dull thump. I blinked the fuzzy feeling fogging my thoughts away and grasped the handles of the Gatling bow. I lined up the front and back reticle, aiming the weapon at the mutant monster. It was getting clumsily back on its feet, grumbling in annoyance.

I flicked the switch. The zombie turned to look at me, attracted by the mechanical noise of the weapon. I picked up a section of an 'arrow strip', which is the Gatling bow's ammunition, and plugged it into the weapon. The rhythmic clacking turned into furious whirring and arrows began flying from the barrel.

The monster narrowed its eye sockets, using its burnt arm as a shield. I connected another arrow strip to the end of the current one so I wouldn't have to reload. I grasped the handles again and wiggled the Gatling bow a little, increasing the arrow spread. The zombie growled and shoveled some dirt out of the ground.

I knew what was going to happen so I turned it off and began hastily unhinging the Gatling bow. If dirt got into its mechanisms, I would have to open it and clean each gear individually. The monster growled and threw the clump of dirt at the airship, bathing its deck and hull in cold dark filth.

I felt a few stones battering my back as I ran belowdecks, hoping to avoid most of the dirt. Some of it got in through the cannon's windows. I sighed and placed the Gatling bow on top of a clean box.

"At least I managed to save one," I muttered to myself. The zombie roared triumphantly and continued limping towards the house. I stared helplessly as it reared back with one fist. Valory's phantom swooped down out of the blue with a shrill call, startling both me and the zombie.

Valory, Eba and Thomas were running at the monster. Eba was wearing the heavy black-purple armor and wielding her silver broadsword. The zombie sort of slumped as if exhausted and roared at them. My friends split up, Thomas and Val running around the zombie and Eba meeting it head on.

The zombie swiped at Falconheart but was unable to hit him. Eba swung and punched at the zombie, causing it to stagger and growl. Thomas did almost as much damage with his broadsword, finnally managing to shatter the rotten bone of the zombie's leg. It fell on one knee with a pained 'gruh' and tried to pick him up.

Eba cut off two of the zombie's fingers, causing it to roar into the sky. It faced the endergirl with poison in its eyes. She stood her ground, longsword at the ready. The mutant zombie roared again and threw a punch at her with its burnt hand. Blackened chips of dead skin had been falling off it and now showed the bone beneath.

The endergirl wasn't fast enough to avoid the blow and got knocked back. The zombie dragged itself towards her, alternating punches from both its hands. Eba sidestepped neatly after two painful attacks, dodging the zombie's large hands with ease.

It roared in frustration and brought his fist down on the ground so hard that the earth in front moved, shifting and cracking like an ocean wave. The sheer force of the attack left Eba on the ground, crying out because of the rocks and dirt that were surely jabbing at her from beneath.

The zombie growled and raised a fist, aiming to crush Eba under the same force that moved the frozen dirt and grass. Thomas drove his sword into the monster's side, causing it to grunt in surprise. Instead of squashing Eba, it swung its raised fist towards Thomas. The blow knocked my friend back several meters, and he landed on the ground with a drawn-out groan.

Valory dislodged her spear from the zombie's kneecap, making it grunt again. It used its burnt hand to turn and lean towards the spider, its other arm already raised and ready to swing. Eba slowly got to her feet. Valory dodged the strong punch but was knocked to the ground by the shockwaves that came from it.

Eba looked tired, using her sword to stay upright. The mutant zombie roared in satisfaction and got ready to crush Valory under its fist. The endergirl began walking toward it on uneven legs. I could no longer just stand and watch. I dashed back up, lit a stick of dynamite, and chucked it down at the zombie.

The red explosive bounced harmlessly off the zombie's back and then exploded. The mutant monster fell on its chest, roaring in pain. Eba shuffled over to it. The zombie started to get up and glared at her with its empty eye sockets. The endergirl raised her longsword. The mutant zombie growled.

Eba was breathing heavily. "Leave... my friends... alone."

She brought the sword down hard. It cut cleanly through the monster's head, splitting it in half and spilling a rotten mess on the grass. The now headless body slumped to the ground. Suddenly, the doubly dead remains went up in flames, disappearing in an instant. A large old hammer rested on the ground where the zombie once was.

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Eba's POV

I fell to the ground feeling beyond exhausted. The Dreadnaught armor dissolved beneath me. Blight appeared beside me, a stern and worried look on his shadow's face. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah... I'm fine... just... tired..."

I looked up to see the airship drifting towards the airfield. Thomas, Sarah, Adrian, and Valory walked over to me. They had cuts and bruises all over their bodies, but nobody seemed too badly hurt. Thomas reached me first. He sort of fell on one knee and gave me a tired smile.

"Hi... you did amazing Eba."

"Th-thanks... how... how is everyone?"

Sarah kneeled down beside Thomas and gave me a gentle hug. "We're all okay, Eba. Come on, we need to get you inside."

Simon was running towards us from where he parked the airship. He looked very much worried. I smiled and waved at him. The creeper boy nodded and waved back. Thomas and Jack were helping me up, and he joined their efforts. Izabell was staring at us from the front door.

Simon's eyes lit up and he immediately ran up to the slime girl. She was on the verge of tears, hugging him tightly. Simon peppered her face with gentle, reassuring kisses. I picked up on their conversation once we got close enough.

"... one's fine. They're alright. Shh, it's okay, it's okay. Don't cry."

"Are you sure you're okay? Not gashes o-or anything?"

"You looked me over, Z. I'm alright. Everyone's alive, nobody's seriously hurt. We're all just tired."

"Okay... okay... oh lords..."

"Shh... calm down Z. It's okay. Shh... it'll be fine."

We reached the couple and Izabell looked us over. "Is anybody hurt badly?"

Thomas grimaced. "My chest hurts, but I'll live."

Izabell dragged Simon over and ran an expert hand down Thomas's chest. "You've broken a rib. It'll take a long time for that to heal. Anyone else?"

Jack limped up. "I hurt my ankle jumping off the zombie's back. But I don't think it's anything mayor."

Izabell touched the stray's ankle with a foot, causing him to wince. "Okay. I'll check it over inside. Come on."

We entered glumly, heading for the med-bay. Kaitlin was sitting on one of the beds, holding the large creeper egg to her chest. I nodded at her and flopped onto another bed. Thomas and Jack sat down on individual beds. Izabell began inspecting them more closely.

_What can I do to help?_

_I'm just tired Blight. Don't worry._

_Are you sure? Doesn't your back hurt?_

_Well, yeah, but not that much. I'll be fine._

Izabell checked me for injuries while muttering to herself. Then she walked over to where she kept her medical supplies. It was mostly bandages and bottles with 'clinically purified water'. Which means boiled and filtered water. She took out a few dressings and began bandaging everyone's wounds.

I put my head on the soft pillow that was at the head of my cot and sighed. Izabell inspected me once more, found no injuries that needed bandages, and moved on. I closed my eyes.

_Rest, Eba. I'll wake you up if necessary._

_Thank you. You're a good friend._

I drifted off before I could hear his response, if he gave any.

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Author's Notes

Right! Another battle chapter! How did I do? I hope you guys enjoyed it.

Thank you for your time and support, have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	49. Bleached Walls

Author's Notes

I 'pre-wrote' this chapter. I used the little air quotes because it wasn't truly preweitten. I just finished typing it out before publishing date. :)

Welp, Reviews!

ThinMint, I'm really glad you liked the chapter! And you'll have to find out if they're ready soon enough.

GiggiEba, yeah, I know what you mean. :) You'll have to wait a little while longer before the skeleton showdown starts, though.

Anywho, on with the story!

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Darkness's POV

One of the monsters still stationed at my brother's valley sent a latter via phantom a couple days ago. I had one of my generals translate it to me.

"Well... it roughly means," he said, "the mutant zombie was killed by Thomas and his friends. By the endergirl, just like with the creeper. It got very close to destroying their house, but it was still overtaken by them."

I considered this for a second. "Then I guess it's time to send my dear friend over."

"The skeleton? I don't know, my lord. It might be best to keep him here and send him when the battle comes."

I smirked at him. "How long do you think he'll wait? A week? Two? At the rate this is going, the bridge will be finished in a month and a half. Perhaps more. This monster will not stay still for that long. If I don't send it, it will go by itself."

My general frowned and bowed. "Very well my liegé. I suppose you should go to the nether, then."

I nodded and called Trudy over. She had grown more and more confident, almost as if she'd accepted her role and embraced it. The terrified blaze maid was no more. In her place stood a cold, calculating, ruthless servant who did not hesitate to voice her disagreement and ideas.

She had been hounding a skeleton for not standing properly in formation when I called for her. The blaze walked over and bowed. "My lord."

I turned around and walked towards the portal. "Come along. We have good news to give to our bony friend."

She walked along silently. I passed through the portal and sat on my throne. The monster was, once again, sulking against the wall with it's arms crossed. I smiled at it.

"Monster, I have a task for you. One you've waited for since your spawning."

The mutant monster immediately perked up. I chuckled. "You know what you have to do."

It growled hungrily and climbed onto the fortress corridor's roof. It stalked away, heading towards the large nether portal that would send it closer to the valley. Trudy huffed in annoyance. I smiled at her.

"You have to admire his determination."

Trudy rolled her eyes. "I'd admire it if he didn't bring down the entire fortress."

"I like this you, Trudy."

"Pardon?"

I got up and stood in front of my royal servant. Her dark hair shined in the gloomy magma light. Her amber eyes were inspecting my face, flicking from here to there, a disinterested frown on her lips. I smiled devilishly at the pretty blaze.

"You look more formidable. Stronger. Sexier."

She scoffed and began walking towards the hallway. "Lord Darkness, I may be your royal servant, but I am not your fuck-toy."

I quickly stepped in front of her. "You are my servant, and that means you must serve me in any way I please."

She huffed again, her frown becoming one of disgust. "Absolutely not. I am not a degenerate like the rest of those sluts cleaning the walls of the fortress."

My smile widened and I stepped closer. "So you're a virgin."

She didn't miss a beat. "That is none of your business my lord. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have pressing matters to attend to. Your army does not keep itself in line."

She stepped around me and I blocked her path with one arm. "Trudy. You should know better than to defy me."

"And you should know better than to test my patience, lord Darkness. I don't fear you anymore. Let me pass."

I used my arm to embrace her, placing my head in the crook of her neck. She was very tense, but her face gave nothing away. "I'd like to see where your patience ends, and what happens when it does."

"Believe me, my lord, you do not. Let me go."

I licked her cheek slowly, but she didn't react. Disappointed, I growled and stepped back. "Fine. You may leave."

She gave me a curt bow and walked away, her high-heels clacking against the nether bricks of the fortress. I stared at her hungrily for a moment longer before sitting back down on my throne. "Got riled up for nothing," I muttered. I sighed and closed my jet-black eyes.

_The clock is ticking, brother. I hope you've had fun with all my monsters. War is approaching. Are you ready yet?_

_Because I can hardly wait._

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Valory's POV

Lila was sitting by herself at the edge of the forest, carving new knives out of bone. I walked over to her. Adrian was helping Kaitlin cut down trees to make a nest for the egg or something like that. I sent off Falconheart to do whatever it is phantoms do on their free time.

I reached my sister and plopped down on the grass beside her. "Hey Lila."

She looked up from her weapon. "Hi Val. How're you doing?"

I shrugged. "Well I'm not dead, so."

"Uh-huh. Finally stopped mooning over Thomas enough to see what's around you?"

I nudged her playfully. "That was so long ago. And you would know a thing or two about mooning over someone."

She smiled, returning to her work. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, you know. A couple of skeletons treading in your shadow at all times."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "A couple?"

"Adrian counts, doesn't he? As a skeleton?"

Lila looked genuinely confused. "Then who's the other one?"

I blinked at her in surprise. "Jack."

She groaned and went back to her bone carving. "Right. I don't moon over that guy. There's nothing special about him."

I stared at her in shock. "How could you be so mean? Don't you know the lengths he's gone to just so you would talk with him?"

She scoffed. "Like interrupting me when I'm talking with Adrian? Or when I'm practicing with my knives? Or when he almost dropped a tree on me?"

"You're always talking with Adrian! And he called for you to stop for a second before getting in your way! And... well, the tree thing was kind of his fault."

"Kind of?"

"It doesn't matter! Just... just give him a chance."

"Why should I? I don't like him."

"Why not?"

"He's annoying, and full of himself."

"That's not true! I mean, he is a little annoying at times, but that's not the point!"

"I think you're the one who likes him."

I frowned. "Yes. I do like him, that I won't hide. But he doesn't ever talk to me. Jack only has eyes for you."

"I'd rather he just left me alone."

I held back an urge to strangle her. "Why can't you just feel flattered? His devotion is something you don't find everywhere."

"Good for him. I want nothing to do with that stray."

"What, you've already promised your heart to Adrian?"

She inched away from me. "No. He hasn't said anything about an us. And I don't want to be the one to bring that up."

"Why? With the time you two spend together, we were beginning to think you were already a couple."

She scooted farther away. "I don't want to talk about it."

I sighed and stood up. I walked towards the house, wanting to see how Jack was doing. "You should be grateful for every boy that's ever liked you. Flattered by everything they've done. Because Adrian isn't like any of them. He is a soldier through and through, and friendship is the only thing you'll ever have with him."

I didn't stick around to hear her response. It didn't matter anyway. She can defend herself all she wants. Jealousy made my thoughts dark and bitter, my hands curled into tight fists. Kaitlin waved at me from where she and Adrian were trying to build the nest thing. I waved back with a smile and walked into the house.

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Thomas's POV

I sat up, a dull pain in my chest reminding me to take it easy. Three days had gone by since the mutant zombie attacked us. Everyone had been fine for the most part, but Jack and I are still not allowed to help out or even leave the med-bay. Izabell checked up on us every so often with Simon close behind.

Sarah brought me food and helped me walk around. Izabell said it was fine but that I shouldn't try running for a couple more days. It was torture not being able to help.

"My chest hurts, but my arms and legs are comepletely fine!"

"It doesn't matter Thomas. You need time to heal. If you hurt yourself, it'll take longer and you'll be stuck in here for at least another week."

"What about Jack?"

The stray turned from the window to look at me. "What about me?"

I shrugged after a moment of hesitation. "Nothing. I got nothing."

Izabell sighed and shook her head slowly. "Neither one of you is allowed outside of the med-bay. You'll be staying here for a month if I catch you out there."

I chuckled nervously. "Alright. We won't miss behave, momma."

The slime frown in exasperation and stalked off with Simon. The creeper boy gave us a curt nod before following her. Valory entered shortly after and sat down on a cot beside Jack's. I gave her a friendly nod and put my head back on my pillow. I listened in on their conversation, which wasn't hard since we were in the same room.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. Izabell said I would probably be able to walk again in a week. I'm not allowed outside until then."

"That's too bad. But there really isn't much going on at the moment. Adrian and Kait are making something for the egg to rest on."

"Really? You'd have thought Kaitlin gave birth to that egg. It's honestly pretty cute."

"I know. When do you think it will hatch?"

"I heard Simon say in a few more weeks. Don't quote me on that though. How's Lila?"

Valory barely stifled a sigh before she spoke. "She's alright. Not hurt. I'm okay too."

She spoke the last few words almost hopefully, as if expecting a worried response, but Jack didn't notice. "I'm glad."

The spider gave him a smile that was on the edge of being sad. "Yep. Everyone's a-o-Kay."

"Well, except for me and Thomas."

"Right. Well, I have Uh... I have stuff to do. I'll... I'll see you later."

"Sure. Bye."

Valory's shoulders slumped in disappointment. She waved sadly at me. "Bye Thomas. Hope you feel better."

"Thanks. You too, I guess." She nodded and left the house. Jack went back to staring out the window. I sighed and closed my eyes. I hadn't felt sleepy, but when I opened them up, I was dreaming. I think.

I didn't feel the pain in my chest anymore, and I got up. Everything was a dull white. I looked around curiously, passing my hands on the bleached walls. They were smooth, almost soft.

It didn't seem to matter how far anything looked, if I stretched my hands out I could feel it. There were large white blocks and rectangles here made of the same stuff as the walls. I sat down on one of them. I thought about Sarah and suddenly the walls and structures began to shift, revealing a blank wall.

An image blinked into existence, one of the gorgeous skeleton girl smiling at me. More and more images appeared of her, most of them of us kissing. Or rather, of her kissing the screen. At least that's how it looked to me.

I stood up and walked closer to the wall. I focused on one of the images, and the rest whirled into different places. The one I was looking at was an image of her walking barefoot at the lakeshore, holding hands with someone. "Must be from my perspective," I muttered to myself.

I stretched out a hand and gingerly touched the image. It rippled like water and began to move. I stepped back in surprise, staring at the image in motion.

"I like this. Just us two," I heard Sarah's voice say. "Walking along the sands of the lake, no worries or thoughts."

The screen bobbed up and down for a second. "Yes, I like this too. The way the sun feels on my skin, and the way the sand moves beneath me." I was surprised to hear my own voice coming from the screen.

Sarah giggled. "You can be so weird sometimes, Thomas." I blinked. _I remember this_. "But that's why I like you."

I took a couple steps back. _It's when we had our first kiss_... All the other images were gone, this one occupying the entire wall. I stared in wonder as the screen turned black. I could hear the sounds of kissing, and knew that I had closed my eyes at this particular moment. I turned away, not knowing how to react.

"What is this place?"

When I turned back, the screen had vanished. The wall was blank once more. I placed my hand on the wall, feeling the smooth surface for any clues so as to why it existed. _Simon would know what to do_.

Suddenly, the images came whirling back. I jumped away in surprise. Instead of Sarah, the creeper boy stood in every frame. He had his poker face on in most of the images, but he held thoughtful frowns in a couple. Even a few smiles here and there.

I got close and touched a random image. It rippled like last time and began to move. The creeper boy was sitting cross-legged on the grass next to a fireplace. I was sitting too, and Sarah was right next to me.

"What's a whisperer?" i heard myself say.

"Well, it's a trait, or ability that some people get," the creeper answered. "But it's got some weird... rules. For example, I can only talk to creepers. They can understand me as well as I can understand them. I'm sure that if Sarah was a whisperer, she would only be able to talk to skeletons."

"Umm..." The screen turned around to reveal Eba sitting on the other side of me a couple feet away. "When did you... *munch*... realishe that you where a wishperer? What doesh it... *munch*... feel like to talk to creepersh?"

Simon smiled at the endergirl. "Well, it feels just like normal. Like learning a new language. Except I felt like I know creeper better than english."

_I Remember all this. From when we met Simon. Are these my memories?_

I turned away and when I looked back at the screen it had gone blank. Maybe...

I debated what to think about. The wall came to life with a flood of different images with no set correlation between them. One of the screens caught my eye. I focused on it, and the river of screens stopped. I touched the image.

There were flames everywhere. On roofs, walls, doors and people. Everything was on fire.

I don't remember this. Where did it come from? The screen ran frantically from home to burning home, helping people who were trapped or injured. I wanted to look away, but my eyes were glued to the screen. Everyone was screaming, the crackle of flames leaving me hollow with dread.

At the end, the screen pushed someone through the door as the roof collapsed. The screen went black for a few seconds before if flickered back to life. Three people were staring worriedly at it from above. The sky was grey, and heavy rain made little puddles on the screen. One of the people sighed in relief.

"Thank the lords. I'm so glad you're okay."

_I don't recognize her. What is this?_

Another person nudged her back. "Give him space. His wounds are severe. I don't think he'll make it," he added in a hushed voice. The third person blinked at me.

"Thanks, Thomas. You saved my life again." He sighed sorrowfully. "You need to stop doing that."

My voice coughed and groaned. "No... Wait..."

The other person, an old man, returned to my side and pressed a hand on my chest. His eyes darkened. "You need to save your strength Thomas. Help me move him to somewhere dry, Stephanie."

The girl nodded and moved out of my field of vision. One of my arms shot up and grasped the old man's wrist. "N-no... Wait... J-Ja... J."

The guy stepped closer. "Listen to the Healer, Thomas. Save your strength."

I tried to stand up, but the two strangers held me down. "No... no, lis... listen to me."

The old man frowned. "Thomas, as Healer, I command you to stop this pointless struggle."

The screen shook from side to side. I grasped the boy and leaned closer. "Th-the sun... gather the sun."

He looked startled. "What? Thomas, you're delirious. Please, just lie down."

The screen shook again, more urgently this time. "Y-you need... to gather the sun. In a year... you'll have to t-travel north... the f-flask will be full... it'll shine like a million stars..."

They finally managed to bring me back down. The 'Healer' was calling for someone, but the screen moved closer to the boy. "Search... th-the taiga. I'll... be there... gather the sun... bring the flask..."

The screen began turning dark, and I could hear my own heavy breathing coming from it. "Gather the sun... travel north... search the taiga... bring the flask... gather the... sun."

The breathing, and all the sounds from the screen, suddenly ceased.

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Theridas's POV

I picked up Ella in my arms and put her up on my shoulders. The young ghast girl squealed in delight. Pepper giggled and planted a kiss on my cheek. Lady Anastasia finished paying for a hat and walked up to us.

We were out on the busy and frankly quite snowy streets of Veridon City. Pepper wanted to spend time with Ella, Ella wanted to spend time with Pepper, Lady Anastasia wanted to go shopping, and I wanted to be out of Pepper's cold apartment. Everybody wins.

We walked into the snow-covered park. Pepper and Ella ran off to play on the park's playground. Swings, slides, monkey bars, the sort. I stayed behind and sat down next to lady Anastasia on a bench. She put on her new hat, smiling lightly.

"Kaitlin would have loved this place, despite the cold."

"I'm sure she would've my lady."

She sighed. Her words became heavy with sadness. "I had to send her away, but... I wish she was with me. I miss her. I miss Fergus."

I placed a hand on the ex-monarch's shoulder. "We all miss them. I'm sure princess Kaitlin is okay. You know she can fend for herself, especially with the magma-stone you have her."

Her gaze shifted from depressed to worried. "But what if Darkness found her? What if he captured and tortured her? He may have killed her! And taken the maga-stone for himself! Oh, my poor baby..."

I rubbed the old blaze's back. "My lady, if I may. She is no longer a child. Kaitlin has grown into a formidable young blaze. I'm sure she's alive somewhere."

Lady Anastasia took a few deep breaths and nodded. "You're right, Theridas. I need to believe that." She turned to look on as Ella chased Pepper around, holding a snowy stick outward. Both the woman and child were giggling and smiling, playing happily around the park's playground. The ex-Queen smiled.

"I didn't like Pepper at first. She seemed much too laid-back. A party animal. But... I mean look at them." Pepper had fallen into the snow and Ella was on the ground, giggling like crazy. Pepper got back up smiling mischievously and dumped some snow on the young ghast girl.

I felt a smile bloom on my face. "They're happy. I hadn't heard Ella giggle so loudly since the last time I visited her and her parents."

"Indeed. And Pepper did that. She is the reason why Ella feels so elated." Lady Anastasia nudged me gently. "The reason why you have felt so happy. She makes the both of you smile, and laugh." She looked back at the joyous girls, now flinging snow at each other. "She is optimism. Light. Happiness."

I watched fondly as Pepper kneeled down to help a still giggling Ella remove the clumps of snow that cling to her white hair. "She truly is. I'm very glad I met her."

My girlfriend (still feels weird to think of her as that) picked up Ella in her arms and brought her over to us. She had the most beautiful and bright smile I had ever seen. "Hey, Love. Anastasia. Could you perhaps play with her for a second?" She snuggled the young ghast girl causing her to giggle. "She's a real handful."

I took Ella from Pepper and sat her on my lap. "How are you doing today, Ella? Are you having fun?"

"Yes! Pepper fell in the snow!"

Her enthusiasm made me smile. "I saw. Did you help her up?"

"I tried but she's so heavy!"

Pepper shoved her gently. "Who you callin' heavy?"

Ella giggled again and got off my lap. She crawled up onto Pepper's legs and hugged the beautiful creeper woman tightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

Pepper hugged her back. "It's okay babygirl. You didn't offend me one bit. You ready to go home yet?"

"No! I wanna keep playing with you!"

"Alright sweetie. I just want to talk with Theridas first, okay?"

"Sure!"

Ella hopped off Pepper and ran towards the playground. She left a trail footprints in the snow. Pepper looked wistfully at the little girl.

"I've always wanted a child. A family of my own."

I held her hand gently. Pepper was used to the cold, but I wore thick wool gloves since it very much bothered me. "Well, you have Ella for now. And me."

She frowned for a moment and turned to face me. "For now? Are you leaving?"

I sighed. "Well... yes, but not right now. Once... once the battle is over, we will go back to the nether."

Pepper's good mood dissolved before my eyes. She didn't say anything, though. I scooted closer to her. "I'm sorry. It's where we belong."

Tears were forming in her eyes, and she angrily wiped them away. "No, I... I understand. I, uh... I should have known you would be leaving."

But I don't want to leave you! It took everything I had to stop myself from saying this. Instead, I pulled Pepper onto my lap. She resisted only a little. "I'm sorry Pepper. But we're not gone yet. You can still play with Ella."

I hugged her tightly. "You can still spend time with me. I don't want you to push us away because of this. I'd rather you did the opposite. Ella really likes you, and it would break her heart if you stopped spending time with us."

Pepper searched my eyes with a sad frown. She blinked slowly and a tiny smile lit up her features. "It would kill me to break that little girl's heart." She hugged me back tightly. "I'll spend every moment I can spare with you guys."

"Thank you. I love you Pepper."

"I love you too. Just as much, if not more."

A single snowball exploded harmlessly beside us. "Aren't you gonna play, Pepper?"

The gorgeous creeper woman smiled and got up. "I'm coming, Ella." She turned to kiss my forehead before walking towards the young ghast. She had a bunch of snowballs piled up beside her, a mischievous smile on her little face.

Lady Anastasia sighed, and I suddenly remembered that she was there. "I know it's hard for you, Theridas. But I'll need you if I want any chance of rebuilding my husband's kingdom. And of finding my daughter."

I looked on as Ella pummeled Pepper with snowballs, both girls laughing excitedly. "I know my lady. If only Pepper could come with us."

Lady Anastasia heard me even though I muttered the last few words. "You know she wouldn't survive. Overworld mobs need water, and such a thing does not exist in the nether."

"I know that too."

"You promised to leave with us to the nether, Theridas-"

I turned sharply towards Lady Anastasia. "I know! I know all of this! I swore my alliegance to you! I chose my duty over my love! I made my choice! To go back to the nether. To go back home."

The ex-Queen gazed calmly at me. "But you are home, aren't you Theridas?" Her words caught me by surprise. "It feels that way now, correct? Since you met Pepper. This feels like your home, doesn't it? More than the nether ever did."

I processed this information slowly and didn't answer lady Anastasia. Her words haunted me all day. I remained awake thinking about this while Pepper slept quietly beside me.

_It does_, I realized. _This does feel like home. This cold, colorful, lively world... I feel better here. I found love here._

I closed my eyes. _So this is why you wondered. This is why you always spoke about the overworld, isn't it dad? You lived here once. You loved it here_. _I get it now. You loved this world, and the people who lived on it._

I rolled over and snuggled up to Pepper.

_I wonder if it hurt this much when you had to leave..._

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Author's Notes

I feel very proud of this one. Don't know particularly why.

Anywho, I hope all of you have enjoyed the story so far!

Thank you for your time and support, have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	50. Words Of Encouragement

Author's Notes

Well this one's up early...

I actually had trouble writing this one. There wasn't much for me to actually add; no Theridas POV or Darkness POV because nothing interesting is going on there. So yeah, it was pretty troublesome.

Anywho, Reviews!

GiggiEba, actually, the memory isn't as important right now. Yeah, poor Theridas. He's more depressed than confused, though. Thanks for the support!

ThinMint, no, not that long a rest. Thank you for the support!

Anywho, on with the story!

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Sarah's POV

I brought two plates of food into the med-bay, one for Tom and one for Jack. The stray smiled and thanked me for the food. Thomas was asleep, fidgeting as if in a dream. I sat down in the cot next to him and put the plate aside. His mouth formed a small frown, and his eyes moved about under his eyelids.

I grabbed his hand, hoping to comfort him somehow. As soon as my fingers touched his, Thomas jerked awake. He looked around, breathing heavily. I stood up and held his hand in both of mine.

"It's okay Tom, it's okay. It's fine, it was only a dream. Don't worry, everything's alright."

He stared at me through unfocused and frightened eyes before taking a deep breath. "S-Sarah?"

I sat down on his cot and hugged him. "I'm here. It's fine. Were you having a nightmare?"

He shook his head. "I-I don't... this... I need some fresh air."

I nodded and gently helped him up. Jack stared at us, confused and worried. "Uh... that's probably not a good idea. Izabell will chain him to the cot if she finds out you brought him outside."

I looked at him over my shoulder as I helped Tom limp out of the med-bay. "She won't find out."

Eba waved at us from the dinner table, and I smiled back. She looked plenty curious, but didn't get up to follow. I opened the front door and helped Thomas stand leaning against the wall. He took a couple deep breaths trying to calm himself down. I closed the door quietly behind me and waited.

He eventually turned to look at me and smiled. "Thanks. I really needed this."

I placed my head on his shoulders and looked up at the starry sky. "What happened? Why did you look so scared?"

Thomas pulled me closer, his hand on my hip. "I... had a dream... or maybe it was a nightmare. I closed my eyes for a second, and when I opened them, I was lying on the ground of a dark white room."

I hugged Tom and waited for him to continue. He had a worried frown, and his hazel eyes were filled with fear. "I looked around and everything moved. A blank wall appeared in front of me. The color of the wall reminded me of you, your pale skin and shiny, beautiful hair."

I smiled against him. "But why were you scared?"

He sighed. "Because of what happened afterward. The wall just... lit up with loads of screens, all of them pictures- memories -of you. I saw our first kiss."

I was about to speak, but he kept going. "I thought that Simon would be able to figure out what this was all about, and the screens changed from pictures of you to pictures of him. All of them memories."

I got an idea of where this was going. "Did you see a memory that frightened you?"

He shook his head. "I hope it wasn't a memory. I didn't recognize anything. but it was so vivid... I was in a village. And everything was on fire."

I frowned and pressed even closer to him, my head now on his chest. He hugged me tightly. "The houses were collapsing. I ran into one and helped someone out, but then the roof fell on top of me. When I woke up, it was raining and three people were looking me over. I began mumbling nonsense and... and then I died."

I tensed up as a wave of dread flooded me. I pulled away just enough to look him in the eye. "You died? It must have been a nightmare, Tom. I mean, you're here! There's just... you're not dead!"

Thomas looked very uncomfortable now. "I know that. But it just... it felt so real. Do... do you know anyone called Stephanie? Or a guy called... Jay, I think? Do those names ring a bell?"

I shook my head. "No, never heard of them. But don't worry. It was just a dream. Nothing to worry about. You're okay."

Tom made a mock grimace and touched his chest. "Define okay."

I smiled and hugged him tightly. We stared at the sky for a while before Tom started shivering. I helped him limp back inside. Thankfully, Izabell was helping Simon prepare dinner, so she didn't notice Thomas's short absence. He lied back down on the bed and sighed. Jack had been toying with a piece of lint and looked up.

"How did it go? Did Izabell see you?"

I smiled. "Do you see Izabell anywhere?"

He shrugged. "I guess not. How are you doing Thomas?"

He turned to look at the stray. "Better. I'll be fine, just was cooped up for too long."

Jack nodded and went back to his distracted playing. I sat down next to an untouched plate of food and suddenly remembered why I had come in here to begin with. The dish was now cold, so I picked it up and began walking towards the kitchen.

"I'll be back in a second," I called over my shoulder. Thomas nodded and got himself into a more comfortable position.

Everyone was beginning to sit down at the table, but Simon and Izabell were still in the kitchen. I walked in and tapped the slime girl's shoulder. She turned around in surprise.

"Hey Sarah. What are you doing here?"

I showed her the cold plate of food. "Could you reheat this?"

She took the plate and placed it on top of the stove. "Wasn't it for Thomas?"

"Yeah, but he was asleep at the time. That's why it got cold."

"Oh. Okay. It'll take a few minutes to get warm again."

"That's fine, I can wait."

Simon walked by and opened the oven, muttering as he brought out the bread. I stood aside to let them work. Izabell gestured to the dish and gave me a thumbs up before returning to cutting up dandelion for a salad. I turned off the stove and picked up the plate. It was very hot, and I almost dropped it.

Once it had cooled enough for me to pick it up, I brought the plate to Thomas. He and Jack were having a conversation regarding the room that Tom and Simon wanted to build under the house. I sat down on the edge of Tom's bed and set the plate beside me.

"Here. I thought you might've been hungry."

Thomas eyed the plate hesitantly for a moment before picking it up. "I'm not that hungry, but I guess it'll go to waste if I don't eat it."

Jack smiled. "Hardly. Valory gives any leftovers to Falconheart, even if it's just salad. The phantom eats it as well."

Tom 'hmm'd in amusement and surprise before digging into his food. I kissed him goodbye and joined the others at the table. Izabell was starting to serve everyone's food. I ate in silence, answering Eba's occational questions about Tom's health. Simon called the lights out once everyone was done, and I walked up to my room.

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Simon's POV

The sun was even more annoying during winter than any other season. Its harmful (to me at least) rays reflected off the clumps of snow that were beginning to amass here and there, as well as the frost on the grass and trees. Everything was much too bright. I rarely took off my goggles during the day.

I was leaning against a tree at the edge of the forest. So far, no massive mutant anything else had crashed through it and attempted to murder everyone. But I still didn't trust the forest. I never kept my eyes off the foliage enveloped by the wintery darkness. A few creepers walked about, and the few critters that still lived here.

Most animals had either migrated or just fucked off in panic after the battles. Our stock of meats was dwindling rapidly. Well... at least the mutton was. And the pork, because Valory kept giving it to Falconheart. Lila and Sarah still went out hunting but came back with less and less meat or leather. And wool, which we need a lot of to make blankets and warm clothing.

I watched as the skeleton girl and Valory trained together near the house. Sarah was wearing padded leather armor so that Falconheart's sharp claws didn't hurt her. From what I could gather, the phantom was supposed to knock Sarah to the ground while the skeleton tried to whack him out of the sky with a training sword.

Izabell was inside tending to Thomas and Jack, Lila and Adrian were talking together under the shade of a tree (no surprise there), and Kaitlin was with Ara. The creeper was helping Kait take care of the egg, giving her tips and words of encouragement. She told me that it should be ready to hatch in less than a month.

The blaze princess had been ecstatic, barely able to contain her giddyness. She made a bed of sorts for it that was placed next to hers in the penthouse. She kept it warm with blankets and pillows, cleaning the smooth surface regularly. Ara was preparing her for what would happen once it hatched.

"Baby creepersss are notoriousssly missscheviousss. They need ssspace to roam freely. Don't fret if he or ssshe misssbehave; while it may not look it, they lisssten to everything you sssay and do learn to act properly."

Kaitlin nodded with a wistful smile as she finished polishing the egg's green shell. "Okay. I'll try to be patient with him."

"We don't know if it'sss actually a he."

"But I'd like it to be a he. I'll take very good care of him, you'll see."

"I'm sssure you'll try. You are a very capable perssson."

"Thank you."

I began fiddling with another project, turning away from the lovely scene. It was a weapon this time, or a kind of rough draft. I had recently started thinking about minecarts, and the possibility of motorized travel on foot. This gizmo I was working on was not motorized, but it would make swift travel much easier.

I had studied everyone's fighting style, finding out that most of our friends were heavy hitters; Thomas, Adrian, Eba, Kaitlin, Sarah, Jack and Valory did most of their fighting in place. Izabell doesn't fight. The only ones that do run around and attack with any sense of tactical combat were me and Lila.

The cave spider threw her poisonous knives while dashing about, occationaly closing in to cut a few throats. I decided that she would appreciate this little invention of mine very much. I forged up a set of iron boots her size (Val helped me with measurements) and eight small metal wheels. Throw in a few axles and a way to connect everything together and bam.

_Awesome metal rollerskates._

Once Lila got the hang of them, she'd (in theory) be able to move much faster, making her that much more efficient in combat. I still haven't told her and won't until they're ready. So far I've tested many wheel alignments to find out which would suit her best, and it seems that when the wheels are in a straight line, they have better 'steering' and acceleration.

This also means, however, that they are harder to balance and get less traction on soft ground. Thankfully the balance issue can be resolved with practice, and the dirt is hard from the cold and frost. Even in summer the ground would be rather tough underfoot. Overall great skating conditions.

Also, if I find a way to make wheels out of better material, traction won't be a problem on most floor types. I wanted to experiment on sap from a couple trees because of its consistency when hardened, but that would be dealt with some other day. The iron wheels would do for now.

I finished bolting the first set of four wheels to the iron boot and put everything away. "This is harder than I thought it'd be," I muttered to myself. Even with my careful and meticulous designing, some of the axles and bolts just didn't want to stay where they were supposed to. Sometime I had to use my trusty pocket knife to file down some of the metal.

My hands were sore after struggling so much with all the bits and pieces, so I decided to leave it alone for now. I let my thoughts and emotions wander, letting out frustration and child-like excitement at my invention. Eventually, my mind trailed back to Iza. I breathed a sigh of contempt, remembering all the sweet times I spent with the pretty slime girl.

I saw the house's door open out of the corner of my eye. Izabell walked out, straightening her lime-green hoodie. I broke into a smile and started walking towards her. The slime girl looked very cute as she tied her hair back in a ponytail. She always made this sort of scrunched-up face as if it was frustratingly hard for her.

She noticed me watching and started walking towards me too. She had a big smile on, her cheeks tinged with red from the cold. I smiled back and gave her a hug.

"Are they alright? Healing properly?"

She nodded, moving to stand by my side. "They are healing exceptionally well. Jack might be back on his feet in a few more days. Thomas's rib will still take a while longer, but he'll be able help out soon. I know he's been itching to build that workshop thing under the house."

"He's not the only one."

"You could start on your own, you know. To get a head-start."

"Thomas would feel cheated if I did that. We agreed to work on it together. I'm pretty sure Jack wants in too, probably to have something to do more than anything."

Iza nodded and closed her eyes. I love her steady devotion. There is just something heartwarming about knowing she's always thinking of me. Sarah let out a surprised shout nearby. I turned in time to see her fall on her back with a dull thud. Falconheart gave a shrill cry of triumph and landed beside Valory, who was stifling a laugh with her hand.

The spider helped Sarah up, dusting her off were the skeleton girl couldn't reach. "You did great! Both of you," she added when her phantom chirped. "Are you okay, Sarah?"

The skeleton girl nodded with a smile as she began taking the padded armor off. "Falconheart really caught me off-guard with that weird spin thing."

Valory giggled. "You mean the 'barreling swoop'."

The skeleton girl looked up, surprised and amused. "You named it that?"

"I like it! And it seems that Falconheart does too."

The spider bent down to caress the phantom's scaly head. Falconheart hopped back once before giving in and letting Valory pet him. "We practiced that one for a long time before he got it right, but it was totally worth it."

Sarah nodded and started walking towards the house. "I'm going to check on Tom. Good luck with your training, Val!"

"Thanks! Bye!"

The spider picked up Falconheart- well, she let him hop onto her forearm. He was much too big to rest on Val's shoulder like Nightshade had. She turned towards us with a smile. "Hi guys! How are you?"

I returned her smile. "We're both doing great. Looks like Falconheart's training is coming along nicely."

Valory butted heads with her phantom. "It sure is. Soon he'll be the most skilled and fearsome phantom ever."

Izabell trailed her hand down Falconheart's back. "I can believe it. How are things coming along with Jack?"

Z's question surprised me, but I kept my mouth shut to find out what she was talking about. Valory frowned a little. "He's still got his heart set on Lila. I really wish he would just let her go and take notice of me for once. It's very frustrating."

Everything clicked into place instantly, but I still didn't speak. Izabell gave Val a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry. Jack may be pretty dense, but he'll get the hint eventually. And don't feel jealous of your sister. This shouldn't cause any problems between the two of you."

Valory nodded, her good humor coming back. "Alright. I won't. Thanks, Izabell." Valory blinked, apparently just remembering I was here. "Uh... could you keep this a secret? I don't want to confront Jack about it yet. I don't even think he'll listen," she added sadly.

Smiled at her as encouragingly as I could. "I won't tell a soul. And you might be surprised at what your words can do. He's actually pretty fond of you and Kaitlin."

Valory's eyes gleamed with hope. "Really?"

"I would never lie to my friends. Just give him some time."

Valory smiled and nodded. "Okay. Thanks. Well, I'm off to continue training!"

We waved goodbye as the spider walked towards the forest. Izabell pressed closer and sighed. "Thanks for that. She's been feeling pretty down lately because of it."

I shrugged. "Well, it's true. What do you want to do?"

Izabell opened her mouth, hesitated, and closed it. "I don't know," she said after a while. "I was just glad to see you, and didn't give any thought to something we could do."

I looked around the frosty and grey-skyed plains. Ara and Kait were still talking, so were Adrian and Lila. Valory had disappeared into the woods with Falconheart. I considered a few options before getting an idea.

"Do you want to help me with a project of mine?"

Izabell smiled. "Of course. What is it?"

"Just a little something for Lila. Let's go inside."

"Okay."

We walked towards the house and I explained the gizmo to Iza. She like the idea quite a bit, and said she'd be more than glad to help. I closed the door gently behind us. Izabell took off her wool-lined hoodie and stared at me with embarrassed eyes.

Maybe we could... uh... Y'know... m-make out before getting to work?"

I chuckled at her bashfulness. "I guess so. Your room?"

Her cheeks were bright red. "Uh-huh."

I followed her up the stairs, waving hello at Thomas and Jack as we passed the med-bay. Izabell entered and I quietly shut the door.

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Third Person Perspective; Veridon City Castle, skeleton king's throne room.

A soldier clad in bejeweled iron armor walked up to the king who sat on his polished stone throne. The monarch eyed him coldly. The warrior bowed and spoke.

"My lord, I've been meaning to ask you... what are you going to do about the threat those blazes informed you about the other day?"

The king snorted in annoyance. "Absolutely nothing. There is no threat, general. That old bat is just crazy. You haven't seen any massive armies looming in the distance, have you?"

The soldier looked a tad discouraged. "Well, no my lord, but-"

The king stood up suddenly, cutting off his general. "Then what is the problem? Surely you've got more important tasks to do than worry about half-assed rumors. Leave."

The soldier hesitated for a second before bowing again. "Yes, my lord." Then he hurriedly left the throne room. The soldier was seething under his calm poker face.

_How can he be so foolish? How dare he insult me like that!_

The soldier sighed, letting out some of his anger. He walked outside and wandered towards one of the many blue buildings set in almost every street corner. He knocked on the door and somebody inside opened it. The man looked surprised to see a soldier of such rank standing before him.

"General Anderson. What a pleasure to see you."

"Afternoon, Church. Where's the rest of your patrol?"

"Th-they left, sire. To have lunch. I'm the only one here."

The general narrowed his eyes. "Then go fetch them. Your lunch break doesn't start until four."

The soldier gave him a shaky bow. "Of course, General."

He left the building and hurried down the street. The general entered and closed the door.

A warrior of my rank attending the common folk at a pod. What a disgrace.

He took off the bejeweled armor and walked out a different door, this one leading to a larger room with a counter. The general sat down in front of the counter and sighed again.

_If that attack just so happens to be real and we both live through it, I'm going to start a fucking mutiny._

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Author's Notes

I want to thank Neo Roybot8 for favoriting and following my story! (I know Thanks is a bit late, but still)

There's really nothing else for me to put here... uh, The story has 2k views, so that's pretty cool...

Thank you all so much for your time and support! Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	51. Finally!

Author's Notes

I am very very sorry it took so long for me to publish this chapter. I had a lot of problems, among which were writer's block, fatigue, and an important exam. However, most of those are past, so now I can get back to work. Be warned though, the next few chapters might also take a long time to be published. Sorry. :I

Anywho, Reviews!

ThinMint, you will have to wait, sadly. :( And yes, the king is an idiot.

GiggiEba, technically, the general was already grouchy and the king just pushed him over the edge. For the umpteenth time. :)

And now, without any further adue, let's get on with the story!

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Third Person Perspective; Somewhere In The Forest

The monster left a trail of broken branches and crushed undergrowth behind it. Still, it made sure to move as quietly as possible. Stalking prey is half the fun of hunting, after all. No creatures dared come out of their hiding places. Everything was quiet except for the rustling of leaves as the monster pushed its way through the forest.

It straightened its tattered dark-cyan scarf, shivering from the cold. Its bones felt like hollow ice. The monster growled softly and made sure the bow's string wouldn't snap. The leather shoulderpads it wore held its quiver filled with arrows. The monster checked to see how many arrows it had before moving on.

Soon enough, the forest began to thin and bleak sunlight spilled in through gaps in the foliage. The monster peered out with narrowed eyes and smiled devilishly. There were plains beyond the forest, in the middle of which stood its targets. One, a sturdy-looking tall wooden building, and the small shapes that mulled about nearby.

The monster drew an arrow and nocked it into the bow, which was strapped to its wrist. The monster aimed its weapon at the closest person; purple hair, black hoodie and jeans, quite tall. They were accompanied by someone else, but that wouldn't be an issue. The best hunters could kill two birds with one stone.

The mutant skeleton drew back the bowstring and waited. As if on his command, both people lined up perfectly. The arrow would perforate them cleanly. Its target turned and caught sight of the monster, their eyes widening in alarm. But it was already too late.

The monster had let go, and the arrow sailed through the air.

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Eba's POV

I walked around on the frosty plains with Blight at my side. Since Thomas wasn't allowed outside yet, we had barely anything to do. Simon didn't give us any tasks like Thomas did, so we had a lot of free time. And no idea how to use it. Basically, everyone was bored.

It was too cold outside for anyone to just sit around doing nothing. Sarah and Lila were practicing battle techniques with faux arrows and knives; Val was talking with Kaitlin, who used her flames to keep both of them warm; Jack and Adrian went out to hunt; Simon and Izabell were inside either taking care of Thomas or cuddling somewhere.

Blight shivered, letting out a tiny cloud with an exasperated sigh. "I hate this weather more than being a demon."

I smiled at him. Blight could, in theory, alter the size of his shadows, but he tends to stay 'regular size' which is about my height. I'm still a bit taller though! "Why?"

"Everything's cold and dead. Not exactly the ideal conditions for a spirit who needs to absorb life through decay."

"You haven't been experiencing the headaches, have you?"

"No, but still. I don't like winter."

"Is there demons that do?"

"Of course. There's lots of demons that are accustomed to many type of climate. Including this dreadful cold."

I always found it interesting when Blight spoke about demon stuff. "Which ones?"

"Um... some environmental demons like Permafrost and Avalanche."

"You're pronouncing them like names."

"That's because they are. As far as I know every spirit, wether it be demon or angel, is unique."

"Oh. That's cool, I guess. How many demons are there?"

"No idea."

Blight stopped and stared at the ground in front of him. Following my demon's gaze, I found a small flower still standing proudly among the withered blades of grass. Blight 'hmm'd.

"That's interesting. I didn't think there'd be any more flowers around."

I wasn't paying much attention to him anymore. "What a miracle," I said distractedly. Something had made a ruckus in the forest nearby. I scanned the foliage, thinking that Sarah would like to know if any animals were nearby. A shiver traveled down my spine as I caught a glimpse of something among the leaves.

A pair of empty eye sockets stared back at me, something metallic glinting menacingly right in front of them. I recoiled immediately, panic flooding me from head to toe. Blight tensed beside me as the metal thing shot forward.

Time seemed to slow down. Every muscle in my body screamed at me to move as an arrow hurtled through the air directly towards my face. I felt rooted to the ground, unable to run or move at all. My entire body felt cold, the same way it does when Blight takes over. Once second the arrow was two inches from my face and the next I warped out of the way.

I turned and watched as the arrow perforated Blight's shadow's forehead. Only the metal head came out the other side, both the shaft and feathers having dissolved to nothing because of Blight's rot-sand. The shadow crumpled to the ground, its body turning to dust.

I snapped out of my momentary panic attack, whirling around to face my attacker. The monster stood up, towering high above me, and walked out of the forest. It was even taller than the mutant creeper or zombie, and looked just as formidable.the monster smiled —smiled— devilishly and jumped into the air.

Blight summoned another shadow as the skeleton fell back down. The second it hit the ground the monster fired three arrows from its bow. I warped out of the way, watching as Blight's shadow was destroyed again.

_Oh come on!_

_What do we do???_

_Call for help, of course!_

I warped out of the path of more arrows and ran as fast as I could towards the house. Everyone that had been outside noticed the commotion and was charging towards the monster, weapons drawn. Kaitlin called for Simon before joining the others. Pain seared my shoulder as an arrow grazed it.

The skeleton began firing arrows like mad. Everyone dodged or blocked them to the best of their abilities. Jack and Sarah were firing their own bows from a distance. The skeleton put up its arm to block the arrows, then proceeded to pluck them out and shoot them back.

Simon dashed past me and chucked a stick of dynamite at the mutant skeleton. It fired an arrow through the weapon, causing it to explode. Simon froze. The monster shot at the creeper boy, so I quickly grabbed his hand and warped the both of us away. We landed clumsily on the frosty grass. Simon had the most outraged scowl I had ever seen on his face.

"Are you Alright?"

"No! I'm sick of all the fucking monsters and their innate abilities to fucking ignore my fucking explosives!"

I helped him up and turned to look at the fight. Already some of my friends had arrows sticking out of them. Adrian rushed in and tried to swing his obsidian broadsword at the skeleton, but the monster knocked him out of the way with its bow. Everyone was giving it their all.

Simon drew his shortswords and ran back in. I summoned my Needlepoint and followed him. The mutant skeleton nocked three arrows into its bow and jumped up into the air. It landed behind us and fired. I pulled Kaitlin closed and warped us away, just barely avoiding one of the arrows.

Simon ducked under the monster and began cutting up its legs. The skeleton growled and tried to knock the creeper boy away, but he was too fast. Everyone got closer and started attacking more fiercely. I helped Kaitlin get up and ran in to help. The blaze princess began growing fireballs at the skeleton.

The monster roared in frustration and jumped back into the sky. Everyone scattered, and only Adrian got shot when it came back down. I kept trying to help by warping my friends out of the way so they didn't get shot, but it's pretty exhausting. Blight was also helping, but his attacks didn't rot the skeleton's bones for some reason.

_Why doesn't he rot?_

_It's a mutant. I can't rot mutants for some reason._

_Oh... That's not good..._

_You need rest. Back off and get your energy back._

_No... i need to help..._

_You'll be of no help if you collapse._

... _Fine_...

I warped away and flopped onto the frosty grass. I summoned an apple and bit into it. Blight had been right about the fruit he spawned; it was in no way poisonous. Jack had tested it, and, well, he didn't die, so... it's useful. I was too tired to flinch when Valory was thrown into the air by a hard back-hand blow.

I recovered somewhat and got back into the fight. Everyone looked severely beaten up. I got closed and jabbed at the monster with my rapier, causing it to grunt in surprise and try to whack me away. I managed to dodge the attack on time, though. Kaitlin was flinging fire like crazy, but the monster just narrowed it's eye sockets and kept fighting.

Whenever we got close enough to attack it, the skeleton would jump up into the air and land a few meters away. And when it does land, it fires a volley of arrows. I helped Adrian up after he was knocked away again. The wither skeleton had three arrows in him despite the armor he wore.

Everyone except me had arrows sticking out of them, but they didn't seem to even realize; they just kept fighting. Blight got taken down for the seventh time.

_Grrr..._

_Did you just growl?_

_No. Come on, we need help._

_I'm coming..._

_Do you think you can support the Dreadnaught Armor?_

_No... it's too heavy, and I'm too tired._

_Right... just be careful._

_Uh-huh..._

I warped behind the monster and started attacking it. Simon ran in and stabbed a grey thing into the skeleton's leg, causing it roar in pain. He lit the fuse and dragged me away. I stumbled a couple times but managed to keep my balance. Suddenly, a ball of flame erupted from the skeleton's leg. This time I did fall...

Simon was at my side again in an instant. "You okay?"

I took his hand and got up shakily. "Just... tired. What was that?"

Simon pulled out another one of the grey things. It looked like a dynamite stick, except there was a knife blade on one end. "It's a spike-enade. Silly name, I know, but it is certainly useful."

I looked on as the mutant skeleton fell back on its wounded knee and roared. "Definitely."

Simon nodded and started running away, back towards the house. "Where are you going?"

The creeper boy turned back around. "Our friends are getting beat up. I'm going to go get the heavy artillery." Then off he went.

I sighed and drew my rapier once again. "Cuz that worked so well last time," I muttered to myself. The mutant skeleton pushed everyone away and took a couple staggering steps back. It began firing rapidly. I warped beneath it and started attacking again. The monster growled and picked me up.

Panic surged through my veins as it lifted me up to its face. I couldn't move; it was gripping my arms and legs too hard. I pulled an arrow from its quiver and brought the sharp arrowhead to my neck. It growled, a horrifying smile on its face. It pressed the metal edge harder against my skin, and I whimpered despite myself.

Then the monster let out a defeating roar and dropped the arrow. I cranked my neck to see Thomas and Adrian hacking away at the skeleton's leg. I felt relief wash through me at the same time as worry. Why was Thomas outside? He's supposed to be healing still! That didn't seem to stop him though.

The skeleton growled and let go of me. Blight used his rot-sand to keep me from hitting the cold ground too hard. Lila ran in, helping Thomas and Adrian. I could do nothing but watch as they manouvered around the monster's legs. Lila skillfully avoided its swipes and arrows, tossing knives back at it.

Thomas looked... exited. Like, wildly happy to be out and about again. Adrian's attacks were sluggish and uncoordinated. I got up and walked over to him. My vision was blurry, and it felt like I couldn't breathe.

_So... tired..._

_You need rest. I can't give you energy, but I can stop using yours._

_Okay... tha... thank you..._

Adrián stumbled back, narrowly avoiding a swipe from the skeleton. I took hold of his shoulder before he could try to attack again and warped away to where everyone else was huddled. Adrian flopped onto the ground and groaned. Sarah and Izabell were helping the rest of our friends. Besides Adrian, Valory was in the worst shape.

A shadow fell over our little group. I looked up to see one of the airships sailing through the air towards the mutant skeleton. Simon was behind the wheel. The mutant skeleton knocked Lila away and aimed its bow at Thomas. The guy stood defiantly in front of the monster, broadsword raised in an attempt to block the arrows.

Sarah looked up and gasped. She drew her own bow and fired an arrow in the blink of an eye. It hit the side of the skeleton's head. The monster recoiled and missed its shot. Thomas took the opportunity to strike at the skeleton. There was a sickening crunch as its femur split in half.

The mutant monster fell on all fours, roaring in pain and outrage. Its attention snapped toward Thomas. The skeleton grunted and picked up Thomas. He dropped his broadsword and screamed in pain. Sarah was firing arrows relentlessly, but the skeleton ignored her. It pulled another arrow from its quiverand held it head-down by the shaft.

The monster growled and raised the hand holding the arrow, aiming to drive it through Thomas's head.

"Hey shit-head!"

The skeleton turned to look at Simon, who was poking his head out of a window where a cannon was set up. The creeper boy was scowling at the monster. "Here's a big FUCK YOU!"

Then he ducked back in and the cannon let out a thunderous roar. The heavy metal proyectile hurtled through the air—

And blew the skeleton's head to pieces.

The cannonball didn't stop, it just kept on sailing until it hit the ground. The skeleton's shoulders sagged. The hand that held Thomas let go and went limp. My friend landed with a dull thud on the frosty grass. Sarah was beside him in a flash. The skeleton's body started rattling wildly, as if it were having a seizure. I trudged over to help Sarah and Thomas.

The skeleton girl was staring in alarm at the skeleton's thrashing body. I embraced her and Thomas and then warped us out of the way. Suddenly, the thrashing stopped. The skeleton went still. And then it exploded, massive bones flying everywhere. Everyone hunkered down, hoping to avoid the flurry of concentrated calcium.

A rib dug into the dirt inches from my face, and I cringed back. Everything went still again after a few seconds. I looked up and scanned the area. Simon lowered the airship and slid down the rope ladder. "Everybody alive?"

Izabell got up hesitantly and looked around. "Yes... Valory, Adrian, and Thomas." She gave my friend a pointed look. "Need to be rushed into the med-bay; they are the most heavily wounded."

Simon nodded and helped everybody up. Thomas groaned but managed to stand. Jack began picking up all the discarded weapons. Lila plucked one of her knives from a nearby piece of spinal column. I summoned another apple and bit into It unenthusiastically. My mouth felt dry. We streamed into the med-bay, everyone but Iza and Simon flopping onto a bed.

I closed my eyes and let out a relieved sigh. The mattress felt like the most comfortable bed I'd ever lay on. I was practically melting into the soft material. The sounds of idle chatter lulled me to sleep.

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Theridas's POV

"Take this to table six, _Terisito_. Quickly."

"Okay, sure."

Pepper and I were working at the bar late at night. I helped her serve the dishes and drinks, and occasionally kick out a couple of drunk patrons. It wasn't the best job ever, but it was okay with me. I spent almost half my life as a royal servant, after all.

I dropped off the plate at the table and rushed back to Ronaldo, who was at the counter serving some drinks. Pepper walked up to me with a smile. She looked utterly gorgeous in the gloomy orange light. I smiled back and opened my mouth to say hi when she turned around.

There was a guy maybe in his early thirties sitting alone right beside us. He had tapped Pepper's shoulder with a mischievous smile. "Hey, beautiful. What say you and me go have some fun elsewhere, eh?"

Pepper gave me a devilish smile and turned back to the man. "I'll have to pass, friend. I'm already taken."

Then she turned around and pulled me in for a deep kiss. I was caught way off-guard, and only started kissing her back after a couple seconds. Pepper was taking every last particle of oxygen from my lungs, rubbing my back with one hand as the other pulled my head even closer. She broke off the kiss after what felt like an eternity.

I could feel a goofy smile crawling onto my face as Pepper turned back to look at the man. He looked very uncomfortable now, stumbling for words and almost tripping himself as he tried to leave the bar with some dignity. Pepper giggled and kissed my cheek. "Well, back to work love."

"Uh-huh..."

It took me a few seconds to get my act together. Pepper usually takes her job seriously, but there are some days when she gets very frisky. Like today. She keeps giving me little winks and gestures from the other side of the bar, quick kisses on the back of my neck, discreet rubbing here and there... it's very distracting.

Thankfully the bar wasn't too crowded today, so not many people required my attention. Ronaldo is actually a pretty chill boss. He doesn't gift us stuff or anything, but he's pretty patient, so that's good. I walked over and stood leaning against the wall next to Ronaldo's counter. Pepper did the same right next to me and let out a sigh.

"I think we've done a good job today, right?"

"It's kind of hard when you're being so distracting."

I caught a glimpse of mischief in her dark-green eyes. "Oh? How _hard_ exactly?" She kissed my cheek softly and rubbed my crotch with a hand. I pushed her back gently.

"Pepper, not now..."

"Aw, why not?"

"Because we're working right now."

"Our shift is almost over, hun. I think we should get a head start and... finish this at the apartment," she ended with a devilish smile. I chuckled nervously.

"Pepper, please..."

"Yeah?"

"Could... could you not? Please?"

She gave me cute pouty face but didn't back off. "Aw... come on..."

Thankfully Ronaldo called for Pepper, saving me from her lust for now. I love her, very much so, but it's really hard to keep up with her sometimes. Ronaldo closed the bar a couple hours later and sent us away. Pepper had cooled off a little, probably from the literal cold of the snow-covered streets.

I opened the door for Pepper and closed it behind me as I climbed in. The beautiful creeper woman took off her jacket, hanging it nearby. I took off my own jacket and cloak. She took them and hung them up. I hugged her tenderly from behind, tired after being up for so long. Pepper smiled and leaned against me, her eyes closed.

"You're warm..."

"You too."

"I love that... how warm you are..."

"Are you cold?"

"No, but that's not the point. Your warmth is comfortable."

I chuckled and hugged her closer to me. "You sound like you're pretty much asleep on your feet."

"I fell like that too."

"I'll carry you to bed if you like."

"Mmm, really?"

I stepped back and lifted Pepper off the ground, one arm supporting her back and the other beneath her feet bridal style. She let out a little giggle as I walked towards the bedroom. Pepper wasn't as heavy as I thought she'd be, which was a relief. I gently put her down on the bed, closed the door, and crawled under the covers beside her.

Pepper was smiling lightly, her eyes closed. I held her closer and placed my head in the crook of her neck. "Good night, Pepper."

"Good night love," she mumbled.

I fell asleep pretty quickly and, for once, had only pleasant dreams.

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Author's Notes

Finally, finally, finally!!! Gah!

ahem* uh... sorry, I'm just glad to have finally finished this chapter. It took me _forever_. I'll try to do better next time, I promise. :)

Thank you so much for your time and patience. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	52. Skates And Snowdrifts

Author's Notes

What's this??? A chapter that is only a couple hours late??? By Jove, it's a miracle!

I never know what to write for the A/N...

Anywho, Reviews!

ThinMint, yeah, they got pretty beat up. Don't worry, they'll mostly be fine. Thanks for the support!

GiggiEba, heh, thank you. I hope I didn't disappoint you with this one. :)

Now let's get on with the story!

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Simon's POV

I spent the next few days helping Izabell nurse everyone back to good health. Of course, Thomas and Adrian were still not allowed out of bed, but at least everyone else is mostly fine. Valory recovered nicely despite all the damage she suffered. To help everyone else, it was really just a matter of pulling out arrows and bandaging wounds.

"How does your chest feel?" Izabell was passing her hands expertly along Thomas's torso, a frown on her face.

"Not too great, but it feels better now. Thanks Izabell."

The slime girl sighed and stepped back. "This is why I told you to stay in here. Now you'll need more time to get better. And I don't want to hear any complaints abaout it, not from either of you." She gave both Thomas and Adrian a pointed look. The wither skeleton nodded, and Thomas smiled.

"Yeah, we know."

Izabell huffed skeptically and left the room. I gave my friends curt nods before turning to follow her out. Eba is also staying in the med-bay with Adrian and Thomas. We were all worried for her, even when the endergirl had told us she was fine.

"She's just exhausted," Izabell had said. Eba nodded blearily in agreement. "It must have taken a lot of energy for her to warp everyone out of harm's way," Z explained later. "She'll be weak for a few days, but don't worry. Her strength will come back eventually."

Jack grimaced. "Honestly I'm surprised she stayed awake for so long while teleporting everywhere."

Sarah nudged him. "She's much tougher than you think."

The bleak sunlight from outside pulled me from my thoughts. I put on my goggles and stepped outside with Iza. Valory was training with Falconheart despite Izabell having told her not to. The slime girl let out an exasperated sigh after catching sight of Val.

"It's like they don't even want to heal. I don't know why I waste my energy or breath."

I planted a kiss on her cheek and took her hand in my gloved one. "They're just stubborn. But you are more helpful than you think."

Iza leaned into me. "I know they are, but it still makes me feel useless."

I kissed her forehead and tucked some stray hairs behind her ears. "Don't say that. You're not useless; Jack probably wouldn't be on his feet without you, and Valory would still be healing. We need you more than anybody realizes."

She let go of a happy little sigh. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome, Z."

I scanned the plains, making sure everyone was present and accounted for. Sarah, Kaitlin and Ara were talking together under the snow-covered canopy of a tree. Jack was performing target practice on one of the house's walls. Lila had been making knives and swords out of the large bones from the mutant skeleton.

I suddenly remembered the roller skates I had made for the cave spider. "Do you think it's a good time to give Lila her skates?"

Izabell huffed in irritation. "Sure, I guess. If she falls and reopens her wounds she can bandage them herself."

I hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to make you mad. I just wanted your expert opinion."

Izabell tried to free herself without much enthusiasm. "It looks like my 'expert opinion' doesn't matter to anyone if they're gonna ignore it anyway."

I nuzzled her neck. "Sorry."

She stopped struggling and sighed again. "It's okay. At least I know you listen to me."

"We all listen to you, Z. But fighters will be fighters. If they want to hurt themselves, let them. They'll learn eventually."

Izabell smiled and gently untangled herself from my arms. "I should probably be there if you're gonna give her the skates. In case she gets hurt somehow."

I placed one last kiss on the top of her head. "You're the best. I'll be back in half a jiffy."

She giggled and playfully pushed me away. I ran inside and up the stairs towards my room. All the rooms except for Kaitlin's were pretty small (because hers is the penthouse), with room for a dresser, a table, and a bed big enough for two. The walls of mine were covered in papers, from sketches and designs to simple doodles.

I reached under the bed and pulled out the box where I kept most of my important stuff (except explosives; those go in the storage shed). In it where a couple unfinished projects, my pocket knife, pencils, and Lila's skates. I pulled out the steel-toed leather boots and made sure everything was in mint condition.

Once satisfied, I pushed the box back under my bed and dashed back outside. Izabell was talking with Lila underneath a tree. I walked over to them, the skates hidden behind my back. I caught the cave spider's eye and waved.

"Hello."

"Hey Simon."

Izabell smiled and broke off the conversation. I cleared my throat. "I made something for you."

Lila raised an eyebrow. "For me?"

"Yep. Here." I pulled the skates out from behind me. Lila's eyes immediately lit up, and she took them almost greedily.

"No way! Really?"

Izabell giggled. "Yes, really. He made them specifically for you. I helped him," she added proudly.

The cave spider looked the skates over excitedly. "These are perfect! Thank you so much!"

"Do you know how to use them?" I asked.

She nodded eagerly. "I used to do ice skating when I was little, and this isn't that much different so it should be pretty easy."

"Good," I said. "Because I have no idea how. I wasn't even sure if I had made them correctly."

"No, they're fine," Lila assured me. "Better than fine to be honest. This is so cool."

Izabell gestured at the frost-covered plains. "Do you want to test them? There's plenty of space."

Lila beamed at her. The cave spider cleaned some snow and frost off the roots of the tree and sat down. She quickly undid and took of her boots and slipped on the skates. "It's a snug fit," she commented.

"Valory helped me with size," I explained. Lila nodded and started tying the laces.

"They're pretty comfortable. Could you help me up?" Izabell left my side to help Lila to her feet. The cave spider wobbled a little but didn't fall, an excited smile lighting up her features. "Okay... you can let me go now..."

Izabell hesitated for a moment before stepping back. Lila wobbled again and crouched lower. Then she pushed forward and rolled away. The three of us let out a chorus of 'yay' as she skated away. The cave spider began turning back towards us as confident as can be, as if she'd been born with those skates.

The rest of the gang was alerted by our ruckus. Valory smiled widely and ran over to where Z and I were watching. The spider punched my shoulder playfully. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to give them to her now? I wanted to see her reaction! Did you tell her I helped you? What did she look like? What did she say?"

I stepped back, smiling at the onslaught of questions. "Sorry, yes, excited, thanks." Sarah walked over to us. Kaitlin and Ara were encouraging Lila with 'woop's and 'yay's. The skeleton girl stopped beside us.

"What's going on?"

"Simon made Lila some roller skates," Izabell said. "It looks like she's enjoying them."

Sarah nodded and turned to watch Lila, who was skating around the house. Jack walked over from where he was target practicing. "Where did she get the skates?"

I raised my hand. "I made them."

He nodded looking barely surprised and stood beside Sarah. Lila rolled gently back to us and stopped. "Tah-daaaaa!"

We all clapped at her and the cave spider made a mock bow. "We'd throw flowers," Jack said with a smile, "but there doesn't seem to be any at the moment."

We all chuckled at his joke, and Lila rolled her eyes with a smile. Izabell suddenly gasped beside me. I turned around to find her staring into the forest, her hands covering her mouth. I placed my left hand on her back, and my right immediately went to the hilt of one of my shortswords. Izabell gently pushed me back and walked forward slowly.

Everyone was quiet, exchanging confused looks with each other. I followed the slime girl's gaze to a clump of snow that had fallen off the branches of a nearby tree. Something moved beneath the snow. Izabell took a couple more steps forward until she was in front of the snowdrift. Then she knelt down and moved some of it away.

The lump of snow moved again, and a pair of frightened beady eyes stared back at Z from under it. Izabell cooed at it, trying to coax whatever it was out from under the snow. The critter's eyes widened in panic, and the snowdrift moved, but it seemed to be trapped because that's all it did. Izabell gently removed more snow and picked up the animal.

It was a little fox cub, its fur as white as the snow that had fallen on top of it. It tried to wiggle out of Z's grasp, but the slime girl held fast. She brought the little fox close to her chest and tried to soothe the little creature. I looked around at the forest. The fox cub was too small to be out here alone, and vixens are very protective of them. So where are its parents?

Izabell cooed at the little creature and started absently walking towards the house. The tiny cub shrank against Z in terror when it saw everyone else, but calmed down once they were out of its line of sight. I followed her, still on the lookout for the little cub's parents. Everyone whispered among themselves and then went back to what they were doing.

I closed the door behind me and followed Izabell upstairs, towards her room. She was still holding the little animal close, smoothing down its ruffled fur and cleaning all the snow out of it. I opened the door for Z and closed it behind us. "Could you please get a blanket from the dresser?" She didn't take her eyes off the little fox cub as she spoke.

I nodded and pulled out the smallest blanket I could find from the dresser. Izabell took it with a smile and set the little fox down. She started drying out its fur with the blanket, and then wrapped it up in another one so it'd be warm. The fox cub whimpered when she touched it, but it didn't try to run away.

Izabell sat down on the bed beside it and started caressing its head. I had been leaning against the wall, watching her every gentle move. "Where do you think it came from?"

She smiled. "I'm not sure. Foxes live in taiga biomes, or in snowy taiga. I don't know how it got here."

I thought this over for a moment. "Maybe there's a taiga biome on the other side of the mountain range. It might have wandered into the valley with its parents."

She looked up from the little cub. Its white fur was slicked down so it clung to the cub's small frame. "Did you see them? The fox parents?"

I shook my head, and Izabell relaxed. "It's an orphan, the poor thing," she said. The little fox had closed its eyes and huddled under the blanket's warmth.

"Maybe not. Its parents may still be out there somewhere in the forest."

She frowned. "But female foxes-"

"Vixens," I interrupted.

She smiled lightly. "Yes, vixens. Theyare very protective of their cubs. She wouldn't have left it there in the cold snow."

"She might have been distracted with something and the cub wandered off."

"Oh but you wouldn't do that, would you?" She spoke at the little cub, who pricked its ears but didn't open its eyes. Izabell pet the little fox's head between the ears, and it leaned into her comforting touch.

I sighed. "You want to keep it, huh?" She looked up from the white cub.

"Would that be so wrong?"

I shrugged. "I'm not judging or arguing against it. It's just an observation."

"So I _can_ keep it?"

"In theory."

Izabell grunted irritatedly. She hates it when I use that phrase, saying that its no way to answer a question. "Why 'in theory'?"

"You don't know if the fox will want to stay here with us. You can't keep it locked up at all times. It might want to leave once its old enough."

She opened her mouth to retort before she realized what I had said. "Do... do you think it will? That it'll just leave one day?"

I sat down beside her and gave her a hug. "It's a possibility, Z. Its a wild animal. If you want to nurse it until its older, go ahead. But it might decide to wander off again at some point."

Izabell leaned into me, still caressing the little cub's head. "I have no choice, Simon," she began. "Its too small to be out there by itself. I'm going to keep it. Maybe it won't want to leave, but if it does, then I'll respect its decision."

I smiled and kissed the top of her head but didn't say anything. The little fox opened its eyes a crack, staring curiously at us from under its eyelids. It wiggled a little and crawled out from under the blankets, padding slowly onto Izabell's legs. The little cub rubbed against Z's stomach and curled up in her lap. The slime girl smiled and pulled the blanket onto the cub.

Izabell was still smiling lightly as she turned to face me. I returned her smile and kissed her forehead, causing her to giggle. She leaned against me, sighing happily. I zoned out after a few moments, and when I zoned back in, I realized she was sleeping soundly. The little cub snored gently on her lap. I chuckled.

My friend, my love, and my muse. Always.

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Theridas's POV

I picked up a pile of books and started organizing them in their shelf. Pepper had suggested I help out at the Grand Library after I told her that I'd liked the book Kyle had suggested. "You could check out another book if you wanted," she told me. That was a plus, but honestly, I was enjoying the work.

"You do know where it is, right?" She had asked. I smiled at her.

"Yes, I know the way Pepper."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. And if I get lost I can ask for directions." She sighed and slipped her arm through one of her jacket's sleeves. She had a worried look, as if she wasn't sure I truly knew the path to the library. I was also a tad nervous, but I wasn't about to tell her that.

I didn't do much except work at the bar and walk around with Pepper. She showed me around the city, but it felt like no matter what I'd somehow find a way to get lost in it's seemingly infinite streets. I had grown tired of the dull grey and bleak sunlight, and the dreadful cold didn't help either.

But I felt so at home in the library, with it's warm orange light streaming from the windows, all the colorful books, the creaking of the wooden floor underfoot, the quiet conversations I had with people who needed help finding a book. It was basically paradise.

Pepper was having another girl's day out with lady Anastasia and Ella. I love Pepper, with all my heart, but it felt good to be away from her constant teasing. I tucked the final book in its rightful place on the shelf and turned to grab another stack from the little cart I used to move the books around.

Kyle was on the other side of the library also re-shelving books. We don't talk much together, but he's never been rude with me. I finished shelving my stack of books and moved on, pushing the cart towards the wall. I needed to stack the rest of the books upstairs, but I couldn't drag the cart up because it would damage the staircase. That's why the library has a system of little elevators for the books operated with pullys.

I gently stacked the books into the little elevator and then closed the hatch. I 'parked' the cart out of the way and headed towards one of the twin staircases. They curved inward going down so that they faced each other on the bottom floor. They were separated by a lounge area with couches and tables.

I waved a greeting to the few people there and walked up the stairs. It already looks big from the outside, but the library is just massive. There's rows upon rows of bookshelves, some reaching as high as the ceiling. I reached the elevator hatch and started pulling it up. It took a couple minutes and a lot of effort, but I was successful.

I got another cart from up here and went back to shelving the books. A couple people walked by. Some asked for help and some simply greeted me. It was relaxing to be here at the library. The hours ticked by until it was well past noon and the sky had darkened. People were leaving the library one by one.

I reorganized one last shelf and walked down the magnificent stairs. Acaria greeted me from the front desk with a smile. "Finally heading back home, Theridas?"

"Yes. I organized all the shelves you asked me to, as well as a couple others."

She raised an eyebrow. "My, aren't you productive? I can barely get Kyle to finish his own set of shelves. Thank you so much for your help."

I bowed. Many people whom I consider my friends always find it funny that I bow, but I do it anyway because that's my nature. "I'm glad to have been helpful."

Acaria waved me away, still smiling. "No need to bow, Theridas. Have a good night."

I nodded. "Good night to you too, Acaria."

I walked down the cold streets of Veridon City. I had my dark hair tucked under a cap, and a scarf wrapped snugly around my neck. My cloak didn't do much to keep me warm, but Pepper likes it when I have it on. "Makes you look more intimidating, not to mention manly," she commented one day.

The jacket and jeans I had on did little to ward off the cold, but I didn't want to use my fire in clear view of many people. After an hour of wandering, I finally spotted Pepper's apartment complex. The light on the apartment wasn't on, so I guessed she hadn't come home yet. I walked up the stairs and down the hallway towards her apartment.

I unlocked the door with my set of keys and walked in. Just as I had thought, Pepper wasn't here yet. I closed the door, flicked on the lights, and walked over to the small kitchen. Pepper did most of the cooking even though I'd told her countless times to let me do so. She only allowed me to help unless she felt too tired to cook or argue.

I lit the stove and checked the cupboards to see what I could make. I was pretty sure Pepper would be home soon, so it'd need to be something quick. I set a pan on the stove and opened the small fridge that sat in the corner. It wasn't a very good fridge, so Pepper didn't like leaving much in there for too long.

I took two steaks wrapped in paper and closed the fridge. I pulled out a pot and filled it with water. Steak and steamed vegetables wasn't the quickest thing, but I didn't have much of a choice. I seasoned the steak and poured a little squiggle of oil into the pan. Then I plopped the steak onto the pan.

The water soon started to boil, so I placed a metal colander in it. I cut up some carrots, potatoes, and broccoli before dropping them into the pot. I heard the door creak open and then shut closed. "Wonder if he's here yet," I heard Pepper mutter to herself. I washed then dried my hands before walking out of the kitchen.

Pepper was hanging her jacket, and her eyes widened in shock when she saw me. I smiled at her. "How was your day?"

She blinked and giggled. "I had a blast. And you?"

I shrugged. "I enjoyed myself."

Pepper shook her head with a smile. "Of course, of course, mister manners," she said in a mock deep voice. She walked up and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "What do you want for dinner?"

I walked over to the kitchen and gestured to the pan and pot. "Way ahead of you."

She crossed her arms with a barely contained smile. "I should have known."

I flipped over the steaks and moved the vegetables a little so they wouldn't burn. Pepper went off to set the table. I brought out two plates from the cupboards and set them down on the counter next to the stove. I made sure the steaks were finished before quickly placing them on the plates. Then I pulled the colander out of the pot to let it drain and cool.

I shoveled vegetables onto our plates and served them at the table. Pepper got two glasses out from the cupboards and filled them with water before placing them at the table. I pulled out a chair for her and she giggled.

"Such a gentleman."

I smiled and sat down in across from her. "I try my best. It comes easy having been a royal servant for so long."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. How was life as a servant?"

I gave her question some thought. "Alright, I suppose. My father and the king had been friends, so he always treated me kindly. Most of my time was spent shadowing lady Anastasia and princess Kaitlin."

Pepper looked up from her meal. "Princess?"

I nodded. "Yes. She was constantly getting into all sorts of problems, and I was charged with basically keeping her alive."

Pepper snorted humorously. "Really? What kind of problems?"

"There was one time when she snuck out of the nether fortress and wandered the nether until she found a trio of magma cube babies. When I found her she had been hopping around with them all over the place."

Pepper giggled. "Really?"

"Yeah. She insisted on playing with them before heading back to the fortress, saying that they 'needed help to find their nest'. Only once they were back in their nest, she agreed to go back."

Pepper shook her head with a smile. "She sounds like a handful."

"She truly was." I chuckled. "You'd think a twelve-year-old would have more sense than to leave the confines of the fortress. And, when she turned fifteen, I caught her 'teaching' baby blazes to use their fire. I was almost incinerated on the spot."

Pepper giggled again. "Was that all you did?"

I took a long drink from my glass of water. "I also ran errands and helped with cleaning and cooking on occation. But yeah, most of the time I was worried the princess would get herself hurt somehow."

Pepper sighed happily. "I love it when you talk about your past. You sound so wistful and happy at the memory."

I smiled. "Thanks. I like talking about it."

We continued talking together long after we finished our dinner. Our yawns became more frequent as the night crawled away. Eventually Pepper stretched and got up slowly. "I think it's time we hit the sack, love. I'm bone-tired."

"Yeah," I said, stretching as well. "Me too."

We crawled into bed, not bothering to change into some more comfortable clothing. Pepper snuggled up to me and yawned again. "Good night, hun. Sweet dreams."

I draped my arm around her waist. "Good night Pepper. Sleep well."

It took me no time at all to sleep, all warm and toasty next to the person I love most.

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Author's Notes

10pm isn't that late, is it? I mean, I'd feel better to post the chapter at 12:59 rather than at 1am because it means I wasn't technically late. So yay for me! :D

Anywho, thank you so much for your time and patience. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	53. Cracked Ice

Author's Notes

Hey, guys, after a quick google search, I found out that the average wild fox lifespan is of 5 years, and that a pet fox usually lives to be around 14 years old. I don't like that. So I'm going to say right now that the little fox cub from last chapter will get to live for up to 30 years. Perhaps more. Deal with it. :)

Also, thank you so much Mage-Of-Space-12 for following and 'favorite'ing my story! :D

Anywho, Reviews!

GiggiEba, I'm sure it's okay to say something like that! Good thing you don't have to wait too long eh? :)

ThinMint, yay, finally! Cuteness!

Welp, on with the story!

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Darkness's POV (1 Month later)

I kicked at a small pebble in my path as I paced the edge of the massive chasm that split the mountain me and my troops were stationed at. I turned to glare at my generals, who were overlooking the construction of the stone bridge that would connect both halves of the mountain.

"It's been a bloody month. How is it that the bridge isn't finished? Even with the mutant enderman, for fucks sake!"

My Necronaut General stepped up. "My liege, it's a two kilometer-wide gap. Of course it will take some time. The monster's need to be sure it won't collapse. I assure you, by next week, we'll be able to cross farther towards the nearest mob city."

I groaned. "Very well. How was the transfer for the nether mobs?"

My Demonaut general nodded. "The operation went smoothly, my lord."

The snows that blanketed the mountain for weeks were very harmful to my nether mobs, so I tasked my generals with sending them back through the portal to await further orders. "Good. Trudy."

My royal servant looked up from her notepad. "Yes, lord Darkness?"

"I want you to bring the nether mobs back through the portal once the bridge is finished. We'll need all our military might to tear down Veridon City."

Trudy scribbled something else on her pad and nodded. "Of course, my liege."

I nodded and turned to look at the endermen working on the bridge. They crawled over its arches like spiders, setting down stones and rocks with superhuman strength. The mutant enderman lodged large boulders into the walls of the chasm, building up supports. It was nothing short of incredible to watch them build.

My Argonaut general cleared his throat. "My lord, if I may... where has your shadow gone?"

"I sent it back to the nether. I'll be supervising everything in person from now on. We're much too close to the battle for me to miss a single thing."

All my generals nodded. I drew my sword and brushed my finger against the magma-stone lodged in its hilt. It felt good to wield such a powerfully enchanted weapon. I put my sword back in it's sheath and leaned against a nearby tree.

I _have an army, and a powerful weapon capable of more than you can imagine brother. Enjoy your pitiful life while you can._

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Izabell's POV

"No! Flicker! You leave Snowdrift alone!"

I looked up to see Kaitlin chasing two shapes; a lithe little fox cub and an energetic week-old creeper baby. Flicker, or Flick as everyone calls him, hatched very suddenly one day. Kaitlin was ecstatic, and had practically ordered me to call for Ara, my creeper friend, so she could help her. Ara made it just in time to watch the mischevious little monster hatch.

"What do I do now?" Kaitlin had asked. She looked worried but very happy.

"Not much, honessstly," Ara replied. "Clean him and make sssure to feed him, and try to keep him out of trouble."

"Okay." Her answer was little more than a breath. She lifted the tiny shape out of the eggshells and onto a blanket, then began to clean him up. "What should I feed him?"

"Gunpowder mossstly. More complicated exssplosivesss asss he growsss up. Have you thought of a name yet?"

"Yes, I have. Flicker. Like, what fire and lights do."

The little baby creeper proved to be a lot for Kaitlin to handle by herself. Everyone chipped in whenever she asked for help either keeping Flick still for long enough to bathe or feed him, and between all of us we always knew where the tiny monster was. But, no matter how many times Simon kicked him out of his room for eating his sketches or how often we tripped because of him, we all loved the little creep.

Also, I _did_ get to keep the little snow fox! I named him Snowdrift. He sleeps in my room or in the med-bay, and he always follows me or Simon around. He's very cute. Whenever we sit down to eat, he sits down beside me and curls his fluffy tail around my leg. Simon barely pays him any attention, but Snowdrift still weaves around his legs and tries to get the creeper boy to pet him.

Simon insisted I let him out saying that he might get sick, and after a lot of nagging, I finally agreed one day. I picked up Snowdrift and placed him in front of the door before opening it. My little fox pricked his ears and stared blankly at the frosty plains. I peeked around the door and watched anxiously as he stood up and padded slowly outside.

He lifted a paw and hesitated at the edge of the doorway. Then he gingerly took another step forward. The cold grass crunched beneath him as he padded out. Snowdrift stopped a couple steps from the door and turned around to look at me. I stared back, unable to speak. The fox cub tipped his head and yelped at me.

I smiled and followed him out the door. Snowdrift didn't move until I was beside him, and I followed as he explored the plains. The little fox cub yipped happily as he chased a leaf that fluttered on the wind. I followed hesitantly as he entered the forest. He sniffed at the ground and looked around curiously, but didn't run away or walk any farther into the woods.

Simon sighed when I got back with Snowdrift in my arms. "I guess that means he's yours, Z."

I nodded. "Mm-hmm. And you thought he'd run away."

Simon smiled. "Quite frankly, I was hoping for it."

I punched his shoulder and brought Snowdrift inside. He grew pretty quickly. His fuzzy cub fur leaned out and became a soft, sleek white pelt. He scampers around happily, usually playing with Flicker. Speaking of which...

Kaitlin finally managed to catch the baby creeper, and Snowdrift skidded to a stop before looking over his shoulder at her. Flick hissed excitedly at the little fox, who yipped in turn. Kait started walking away.

"How many times have we told you to be nice with Snowdrift? Honestly, you are more trouble than you're worth."

I giggled. "Don't scold him. They were just playing. Right, Snowdrift?"

The little fox blinked and started scratching his ears with his hind leg. Kaitlin smiled. "I guess that means yes. But that doesn't give you the right to chase him around, mister!" She mock glared at Flicker, who hissed in delight.

Jack walked down the stairs, his custom bow in hand. "Kait, uhh... I want to file a complaint."

The blaze princess blinked at him. "You what?"

The story gestured to his bow. "It looks like good ol' Flick decided my bow was an awesome chew toy."

Kaitlin and I took a closer look at the bow. It had amazing carvings all over it, but also a large portion where these had indeed been chewed up. Kait grimaced and gave him an apologetic glance. "Sorry... did you lock your door like I asked?"

Jack shrugged. "I'm not sure. Probably not, but still. I keep it in a box under my bed, so it's not like it would be the first thing he sees."

The baby creeper blinked in confusion. Kaitlin held Flicker closer to her chest. "Right... sorry. I promise it won't happen again."

"Thanks. I'll be outside if anyone needs me."

We watched him go, wiping some leftover drool from his bow with a piece of cloth. Snowdrift weaved around my legs and yipped. I smiled and picked him up. "Are you hungry? Do you want some food?"

Snowdrift blinked at me, yawned, and settled to sleep in my arms. I giggled. "Guess all that running tired him out," I said to Kaitlin.

The blaze princess smiled. "If only it had tired Flick out. I mean, look at him." The baby creeper blinked at me when I met his curious gaze. He looked about as energetic as ever.

"Maybe we could find something to keep him entertained. Build some sort of room for him to play in," I suggested.

Kaitlin frowned thoughtfully. "That could work, I suppose. But Ara said that he should be free to roam because his tiny little legs wouldn't develop properly otherwise."

"Um... maybe you should take him outside? I'm sure he'll be fine even with the cold."

Kait's eyes widened in surprise. "Take him outside? Are you serious? There's too much snow! He'd get sick!"

I looked out the window. It had been snowing all week, blanketing the plains and forests in a thick layer of white. It hadn't stopped Sarah and Jack from going outside, though. I guess skeletons are more accustomed to the cold. "Well... I guess you're right. I'm going to check up on Thomas, okay?"

She nodded and turned away. "Okay. I'll go give Flicky a bath."

I brought Snowdrift with me into the med-bay and set him down on an empty bed. The little fox cub stretched out but didn't wake. Adrian had left the med-bay a week ago, having recovered from his battle injuries. No big scary monsters had attacked us since then. Thomas smiled at me. "Hi, Izabell. Is it time for my check-up again?"

I nodded and passed my hand over his chest, feeling for any irregularities that would indicate his rib hadn't healed properly. "It looks like everything is back to normal. You can go to sleep in your own room tonight. Or," I said with a mischevious smile, "in Sarah's room if you'd prefer."

Thomas chuckled nervously, his cheeks tinged with red. "Right. Thanks, Izabell."

"No problem. I don't fight, so it's only fair that I help those that do."

Thomas stood up and stretched. "Ah, feels good to be on my feet again."

I smiled. "Don't be such a wimp. You've been walking around restlessly since last week. Don't think I haven't noticed."

He smiled back at me. "Sorry about that."

I shrugged and started cleaning the bed he'd been resting in. "It's your own health that's at stake, so..."

Thomas sighed. "Simon's rubbing off on you."

I smiled. "I consider that to be a good thing, most days."

He gave me a surprised frown. "Most days? What?"

"Never mind. It's something between the two of us. You can go now."

He opened his mouth to say something else, but I waved him away. "Go. And don't wake Snowdrift. Flicker's been chasing him around the house all day."

Thomas nodded and left. I finished setting the bed and sat down beside the still sleeping Snowdrift. I pet his head in between his ears, and the little fox chirruped happily. I heard a knock on the doorway and looked up to find Simon looking at me and Snowdrift. I smiled at him.

"Hi, Simon."

"Hey, Z. Lila says she's going to try using the skates on the lake if it's frozen. Do you want to come?"

I thought about it for a second. "Is it safe?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. That's why we're going to see if the lake's frozen first. I could throw a few stones at it to see if it'll crack."

I nodded after another moment of hesitation. "Okay. Lila might need help if something happens. Will her skates even work on ice?"

Simon's eyes brightened. He likes talking about his projects and ideas, and it makes me happy to see him so excited over something. "The wheels are sharp at the edges, for superior combat effectiveness and to get a better grip on hard ground."

I stood up and walked towards the door. "Combat effectiveness?"

"The skates have steel toes, so Lila can kick out at an enemy and it would do some decent damage. She could also cut them with the wheels."

"Hm. You think about everything, don't you?"

"I try my best."

I pulled on my thick lime-green coat. Simon was only wearing his hoodie. I frowned at him. "Won't you get cold in that?"

He smiled back at me. "I'll be fine. It's not that cold."

I sighed and raised an eyebrow. "Not that cold? If what you want to try works, that's because it's cold enough to freeze over a lake."

He stared blankly at me before smiling again. "Can't argue with that. Come on, Lila's probably already there."

"I'm probably where?"

We both turned around to find Lila walking down the stairs wearing her wool-lined jacket. Simon nodded at her. "I thought you'd have left by now."

Lila shrugged. "I had to go get my skates first."

Simon started walking towards the door. "Okay. Let's get going before it starts snowing again."

We walked in silence for the most part, with Simon a little farther ahead than Lila and I. Once we entered the forest, she leaned closer to me.

"I don't know how you can like him so much," she whispered.

I blinked at her. "What do you mean?" I whispered back.

"He's so... blank. Always neutral or sarcastic, never betraying any thought or emotion. Nobody should be that devoid of feeling. It's kind of creepy."

I frowned at her. "He is a creeper, after all, but that's not a very nice thing to say about him. And he's not devoid of feeling, he just doesn't show any."

Lila shuddered dramatically. "How do you know what he's thinking, or if he's mad or depressed or happy?"

I smiled smugly at her. "Because he does show emotion, especially when we're alone. And I don't need to know what he's thinking to know he loves me too."

Lila stared at me for a few seconds before shrugging. "Still don't know how you can stand his constant poker face."

"It's not constant. When we're alone, he sort of lets go, and I can read him like an open book. I think that's why he does the poker face thing."

Lila thought about this for a moment. "Hmm... okay." She raised her voice. "How's Snowdrift? I hadn't seen him with you when I came down."

I smiled. "He was just sleeping in the med-bay. Flicker had chased him all over the place, and he got tired out."

Lila smiled. "That baby creeper is absolutely nuts. I had to chain up all my knives in a box because Kaitlin was afraid he would find them and poison himself somehow."

I gliggled. "And I had to put a lock on the bandage chest in the med-bay so he didn't ruin them all."

Simon huffed without looking back. "Flicker's been eating my sketches, and he stole one of my projects from the box I keep under my bed."

Lila giggled, something I don't remember having heard before. "Really? What'd he steal?"

"A prototype flint-n-steel gauntlet. He also ate the sketch for it, so I have no way to make an exact replica and complete the pair."

I smiled. I always find Simon's occational ranting funny. "Did you get it back?"

"Yeah, but not after he slobbered it all and ruined the leather."

"Did Kaitlin apologize?" Lila asked.

"Yes." Simon turned his head just a little so that we could see his smile. It looks like he thought the situation was funny too. "She was beet red, and just barely managed to stammer out an apology."

Lila chuckled. "Oh, man, I don't know how you haven't punished Flick for all the mischief he's been causing."

He shook his head, still smiling. "That's Kaitlin's job. And besides, what could I do to that little spark? We just have to survive his antics for long enough until we can actually get him to understand."

I giggled. "I think Kait needs help with her job. She wanted to know if there was anything we could build for Flick that would help tire him out."

Simon suppressed a laugh. "Other than a tranquilizer dart gun, I don't know what could work."

Lila and I giggled. She smiled a me, and I gave her a smug look. She rolled her eyes and shrugged. We walked in silence for the next couple of minutes before arriving at the lake. It was comepletely frozen over, reflecting the sun's light and a dazzling way. The ice was edged with snow that covered the shore.

Simon rummaged through the snow blanketing the sandy shore and picked up two stones. "Right. Let's see if it's truly frozen."

He chucked a stone towards the lake. It sailed through the air before clattering on the smooth layer of ice. Simon threw the stone again, and it landed in the same area where the first stone did. He then walked up to the ice and pressed down on it with his boot. It didn't crack at all, and Simon stood back with an approving nod.

"Looks solid enough. I think it's safe."

I helped Lila put on her skates, and she stepped gingerly onto the frozen lake. She wobbled a little, then regained her balance and slid over the ice. She squealed with deligh and pushed harder against the frozen water. Simon stood beside me, smiling.

"She's having fun."

I nodded. "I wonder what it feels like."

"I could make you some skates if you want," he offered.

"No thanks. I rather like walking or running rather than rolling."

Simon shrugged. He walked onto the frozen lake. "It doesn't look exceptionally hard to keep your balance."

I opened my mouth to speak when he started slipping. He caught himself before falling, sliding closer to the middle of the lake. "Right... I stand corrected."

"Be careful!" I called after him.

"I'll be okay, I think."

Lila slid past him. She'd been skating around the edge of the frozen lake, and now started performing little tricks on the ice. Simon stood back up and slowly tried to walk over to me. He got a few steps in before slipping again. He fell on his side, a smile on his face, and somehow managed to stand up again.

Simon took a couple more uneven steps forward, and then the ice cracked beneath him. A gasp escaped me. Simon furrowed his brow. "Well, shit."

"Come back! Be carful!"

He didn't look up from the crack in the ice. "It's okay, it's okay," he soothed. "I won't fall. And it's not that deep anyway."

"Please be careful," I begged. Lila hadn't even noticed what was happening. "Lila!"

The cave spider slid to a stop and stared at me. "Yeah?"

"Please help Simon! The ice is cracking!"

Lila looked at Simon and frowned. "If I get too close, the ice will break and he'll fall in for sure."

I blinked at her. "So there's nothing you can do?"

Simon spoke softly. "Calm down, Z. I'll be fine. Just have to... tread lightly..."

He took a single step forward, and nothing happened. He took another step and the crack in the ice followed him. I stared helplessly as he took a few more steps. A couple meters from the shore, He slipped. My heart leaped in my throat as Simon wobbled and fell hard on top of the brittle sheet of ice.

The ice snapped, and Simon sank with it below the surface of the water. Dread swept through me, and I dashed for ward to the edge of the ice. Lila stared in horror at the large hole where Simon had disappeared. A couple seconds passed and nothing happened. Tears threatened to swamp me, grief forcing a stake through my heart.

Then a gloved hand flew out of the water and gripped the ice. Another followed. Soon Simon's head broke through the surface. Simon gasped loudly, and began coughing up water as he pulled himself heavily onto the frozen lake. He crawled heavily towards me, shivering like mad. Relief and worry flooded me at the same time.

Lila quickly slid towards Simon and helped him onto the shore. He was as cold as the ice he'd broken through, and his teeth chattered nonstop. He looked exhausted. I held him closer to me. "I told you to bring warmer clothes. Thank the lords you're okay... thank the lords..."

"D-d-def-fine o-ok-ay..."

Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I broke into a smile. "Simon... please, please, please promise me you'll never ever do that again."

He smiled weakly at me. "E-e-ver?"

I chuckled breathlessly and held him tighter, burrowing my face in his cold chest. Lila helped us up, and we staggered all the way back home. Everyone stared in wordless horror as I brought Simon into the med-bay. Lila stayed back to answer our friends worried questions. Snowdrift whined at me from bed where I'd left him.

I helped Simon change into warmer clothes and covered him with a blanket. Snowdrift hopped up onto his bed and curled up beside him, trying to help keep Simon warm. I pet him between the ears and left the med-bay. Everyone had been sitting around the living room table, listening intently to Lila, and slowly turned to look at me.

I blinked back at their sympathetic looks and walked into the kitchen. I brought out a pitcher of water, a pot, some vegetables, and chicken. I lit the stove and began preparing the ingredients for Simon's soup. A couple tears fell down my face as I cooked. Sarah walked in just as I poured the vegetables into the pot. She stared wordlessly at me for a few moments.

She finally spoke. "How's Simon?"

I shrugged. "Cold." I stirred the soup a little, and suddenly realized that I was trembling.

Sarah placed a hand on my arm. "How are you?"

I shighed. "Worried. He can barely stand."

"I'm sure he'll be fine. You're a great medic, and that soup will help him plenty."

I felt bone-tired and sick to my stomach, but her kind fords lifted a weight off me. "Do you think so?"

Sarah smiled at me. "I do. Here, let me help."

We cooked in silence. Sarah walked its me towards the med-bay. Simon's skin looked sickly pale, but at least he looked a little stronger, and more comfortable. Snowdrift yipped at me from his spot next to the creeper boy. I sat down beside him and set down the bowl of soup.

Simon blinked at me and smiled. "Is that for me?"

I smiled back and handed him the soup. "Yes. How do you feel?"

He took a sip from the bowl. "Chilled to the bone. Don't worry, though. I'll be fine." Snowdrift whined, and Simon passed his hand over the little fox cub's sleek white fur. "He's been keeping me warm while you were gone."

I pet the little fox between his ears. "I'm glad you've finally gotten along with him."

Simon took another long sip of soup. "Me too. He's great company."

I giggled and stood up. "I'll get you a bag of warm water for you to sleep."

Simon nodded at me. "Thank you, Z. I'm sorry to have scared you."

I kissed his forehead lightly. "It's fine. I'm just glad you're okay now."

I walked upstairs into my room, not wanting to meet anybody else's gaze. I locked the door behind me and curled into a ball on my bed. It scared me how quickly he went under, how suddenly he was just gone. But he came back, didn't he? I thought to myself. I hid under a blanket until my hands stopped shaking. I hugged myself tightly.

_What would have happened if he'd died? What would I have done then?_

I pushed the dreadful thought away and got comfortable. I peeked my head out from under the blanket and brought over a pillow. Sleeping would keep my worries away, and I was plenty tired. I sank into the softness of my bed and closed my eyes. I focused on keeping my breath steady until darkness enveloped me and I drifted off into sleep.

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Author's Notes

Yay, another chapter that isn't late!

Oh no, Poor Simon! Let's hope he gets better soon. Darkness's forces are looming over the horizon...

Anywho, thank you so much for you time and patience! Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	54. Love And Devotion

Author's Notes

I'm sorry this chapter is a day late, but I think its length should make up for it, right? Thank you TM Industries for following my story!

Also! We have a cover for the story now! Thank you so much GiggiEba for your help! :D

And now, Reviews!

ThinMint, ah, sorry to hear that. I like the cutesy names too. I'm glad someone agrees with me. :)

GiggiEba, yeah, they've got it rough. Sadly, I don't think Darkness will simply back off...

Mage-Of-Space-12, well it was kind of to be expected. :P Thank you for the support!

Anywho, let's get on with the story!

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Eba's POV

I sat down at the table and summoned a pear, nibbling on the juicy fruit's flesh. Thomas and Sarah were lounging on the couch he and Simon made a while back. They were discussing resources, and Thomas said he was planning on going mining. I kept quiet, wanting to hear the whole conversation before volunteering to go.

Simon had gone from bad to worse. Izabell had taken a nap, and when she came back down feeling much better, she realized that the creeper boy had a fever. He would mumble nonsense when awake, and would fidget a lot when asleep. Izabell was terrified for him.

"I don't have any medicine," she told herself worriedly. "Only bandages and ointments. What should I do? Oh, lords, let him get better..."

We all tried to comfort her, even Snowdrift, the little snow fox. But she sort of pushed us away and spent most of her time cooped up in the med-bay. Simon was awake and conscious very rarely, but he always asked the slime girl how she was and if she'd taken care of herself.

"There's nothing more you can do, Z." The creeper boy spoke in a quiet and hoarse voice. "I'll be fine, don't worry. Go outside. Play with Snowdrift. He needs you more than I do right now."

Still, the slime girl almost never left the med-bay. Everyone worried more for her than for Simon. Movement jerked me from my thoughts, and I looked up. Thomas helped Sarah to her feet, their conversation clearly over now. I waited expectantly for him to call everyone into the room.

_You're exited._

_Of course. We haven't gone mining in a long time. I kinda miss it._

_I don't. I hate caverns._

I suddenly remembered that Blight had been trapped by Darkness inside a cave for half a century. _Right... sorry._

_Don't be. Pay attention or you'll miss your chance._

I blinked and realized that Thomas was looking at me with a warm smile. He chuckled.

"Do I have your attention now, Eba?"

I swallowed a lump in my throat and let go of a nervous laugh. "Sorry... yeah, I'm listening."

"Right. Um... is everyone here? Where's Jack?"

"Here!" The stray ran down the stairs, stumbling and almost falling on the floor. "Sorry, sorry. Had been cleaning my bow."

"It's fine," Thomas told him. "Sarah and I were talking, and we think it's about time we go on another mining trip. We have plenty of iron from the mountains, but there is no diamonds or gold up there. And we're running out of coal."

Everyone murmured in agreement. Thomas sighed and straightened his wool jacket. "Right. Who's coming with me?"

I raised my hand immediately. Sarah and Jack did too. Thomas nodded at us and turned to look at Izabell. The slime girl had been staring distractedly at the med-bay, no doubt still worrying over Simon. Thomas took a couple steps towards her and cleared his throat. Izabell's gaze slowly drifted towards him.

"Yes?"

Thomas sighed again. "I want you to come with us. We're going on a mining trip."

Izabell shook her head. "No thanks. I'll pass."

"Please, Izabell. It's doing you no good to stay in here. You need to take your mind off Simon's sickness. Come on."

Sarah stepped forward too when Izabell was about to argue. "You know that's what Simon wants you to do. Isn't he always telling you to go outside? I think it's about time you listened to him."

Izabell frowned, but nodded after a few moments of hesitation. "Okay. Let me say goodbye first."

Sarah put her hand on Izabell's shoulder as the slime girl turned away. "It's not necessary. You'll be back before he even realizes you're gone."

Izabell nodded again and turned away from the med-bay. "Fine. Let's go."

Thomas nodded. "Could you guys go out and hunt?" he asked Valory. The spider nodded. Thomas then turned to Adrian."And could you chop down some trees? I'd like to keep our stocks of wood full."

"Sure," the wither skeleton answered.

"Great." Thomas clapped his hands together. "Okay, let's go."

We followed Thomas out. Izabell hugged Snowdrift one last time before trailing along, still looking uncertain. Everyone else filed out one by one, heading off to do what Thomas asked them. Snowdrift, Kaitlin, and Flick watched us go from the door. For once, the baby creeper seemed to realize that this wasn't a time for his antics.

We walked in silence through the forest and entered the cave sistem without a single word passing between us.

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Simon's POV (2 hours later)

"Fu-uck. Ehm... dammit."

I tumbled off the bed, laying in a heap on the floor. I lifted my head and held it in my arms. It felt like a million hammers were pounding at it. My eyes burned, and my throat felt as dry as a desert. I sniffled and tried to stand up. It took a couple attempts, but I finally got to my feet, albeit a little unsteadily.

"Where's everyone..." I mumbled to myself. I felt out of it, like everything in front of me wasn't real.

"Um... g-...guys? Uh... hello?" Nobody answered me. "Maybe I'm hallucinating," I mumbled. The thought made me giggle. "Tha's funny... I like that... let's see..."

I wandered unevenly into the living room. It was deserted, except for Snowdrift, who was dozing happily on the couch. "Okay... they must be outside..." I told myself.

My eyes wandered to the metal hatch beneath the stairs. Thomas had asked me to start building the underground workshop at the beginning of last month, and it took me around three weeks to finish. It lay mostly unused because of this cursed sickness. I smiled.

"Should at least make myself useful, no?" I asked no one in particular. My mind felt foggy. I stumbled up the stairs, heading for my room, then opened the door quietly and started choosing sketches from the wall.

"For... Lila, and Thomas, and Jack... for, um... what's his name... Adrian, and Sarah, and Jack—not Jack, um... Valory, right, yes... aaand Kait, and Eba..."

I stopped and stared at the doodle before me. It was me and Izabell, holding hands, sitting atop a hill overlooking the plains, watching the sun sink below the horizon. My mind focused for a second, and I smiled. But then the fog returned, and I blinked sleepily.

"Right... and Izabell." I plucked one last sketch from the wall and wobbled down the steps of the staircase. It took a lot of effort, but I finally managed to open the metal hatch and climb down the ladder into the workshop. I closed the hatch behind me and got to work.

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Kaitlin's POV (3 hours later)

I finished drying Flicker with a towel and sat back. My baby creeper blinked and hissed happily at me. I smiled and caressed his head gently with one hand. I picked him up and brought him onto his cushion/bed. He was still too small to need an actual bed, so he slept on a red pillow I asked Valory to make for this specific purpose. Flicky flopped onto it and got comfortable, hissing softly the whole time.

I giggled and covered him with a small blanket. My baby creeper hissed happily again and closed his dark-green eyes. I sat on the edge of my bed and waited patiently for him to fall asleep. I didn't want to leave him alone, but Snowdrift needed care too. I had been feeding and taking the little snow fox out on walks since Izabell hadn't been able to.

Once I was sure Flicky wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, I quickly walked downstairs. Snowdrift blinked sleepily and pricked his ears. I smiled at the little snow fox and pet him between the ears the way I know he likes. The fox cub yipped almost sadly, and I sat down beside him.

"What's wrong, buddy?"

The little fox whined and curled up in my lap, staring at the med-bay wistfully. I brushed his fur with my hand. "Do you miss Izabell? Is that it?"

He pricked his ears but didn't look away. Instead, the little snow fox put his chin on top of his front paws and whined again. The sight melted my heart. "Don't be sad, Snowdrift. She'll be back. And Simon will get better soon. Come on."

I picked him up and brought him to the door. Snowdrift stared at the wooden slab through unfocused eyes. I kissed the top of his furry head and brought the little fox outside. He half-closed his eyes against the sun's glare. I set him down on the soft snow. He didn't do anything for a few moments, letting his eyes adjust to the light.

Then he began sniffing around. There were foot-prints left from when everyone had left, and Snowdrift began following a trail of them, the one headed towards the mine. I followed curiously and shivered. I only had my turtleneck sweater on, and the cold got to me very quickly.

Snowdrift was already going on ahead. I called for him. "Wait! Snowdrift!"

The little fox looked over his shoulder at me and pricked his ears. I rubbed my arms, hoping to ward off some of the cold. "Please wait. I should go with you, just let me get my coat okay? Stay where you are."

Snowdrift blinked at me. Then he sat down and began washing one forepaw. I rushed into the house and threw on my coat, still shivering. Once I felt warm enough, I opened the door and walked out. Snowdrift was still sitting where I'd left him, but he was staring into the forest now. I walked up to the little snow fox.

"Okay. Let's go." Snowdrift blinked again and stood up, padding hurriedly along the trail of footprints. I followed him as quickly as I could. His size and fur color made it hard to distinguish him from the snow. We entered the forest soon enough. Snowdrift darted between bushes, sniffing carefully along their frosty leaves. The little snow fox would occationally rub his cheek against fern fronds where he found the smell he was after.

He led me deeper and deeper into the forest, ignoring critters and prey just to follow the trail. I had an idea of who he was looking for. I started gather dry sticks on the way, wanting to be prepared for anything. Soon enough, we arrived at the cave entrance Thomas and the rest of the mining party must have taken.

Snowdrift walked into the cave, his paw-steps echoing softly off the walls. I sat down on a smooth rock formation and started piling up the sticks. The little snow fox wandered towards the tunnel that led into the cave sistem below and yipped. There was no answer, and a couple moments later he yipped again.

I lit the bundle of sticks with my fire and turned to look at the little fox. I watched as he yipped a third time, more desperately now. I left the fire and walked up to him. His tail twitched nervously, and he looked tense. I crouched down and pet his head.

"Don't worry, Snowdrift. They'll be out soon. We just have to wait for them here. Come on. You'll get cold if you stay there." I picked him up, and the little fox whined at me. I pet him gently and put him down next to the fire. Snowdrift stared at it and curled up nearby. I sat down and started playing distractedly with my flames.

We waited there, on the cold hard stone of the cave, for a couple hours before the mining party finally returned.

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Izabell's POV (2 hours later)

I picked up the heavy burlap sack and threw it over my shoulder. We had been gone for almost seven hours, and had gathered plenty of metals and coal. Jack had even found some lapiz. We trudged on through the maze of caverns, heading back towards the sunlight. Thomas and Sarah had been right; leaving the house and focusing on something different had made me feel better.

We'd gathered enough ore for about 17 bars of gold, 22 of iron, 21 piles of redstone dust, and 12 pieces of lapiz. We didn't find any diamonds like we'd hoped, but what we do have is plenty. Sarah walked beside me on the way back. She spoke to me after some time.

"How do you feel?"

I smiled at my friend. "Much better, thank you."

She nudged me playfully. "See? All you needed was some fresh air."

I giggled and fake-coughed dramatically. "The air down here is everything _but_ fresh."

Sarah chuckled. We were getting close to the exit; I could already see a small, bright speck of light getting closer and closer. We continued walking in silence. My arms were sore from all the mining and heavy lifting. My clothes were caked in dust and grit. But, despite all of that, I did feel better.

I froze in surprise as a little yip echoed down the walls of the cavern. I shielded my eyes from the bright light and a little gasp escaped me as a shape hurtled towards us. I dropped to my knees and was almost barreled over by Snowdrift. The little fox was yipping and weaving around me excitedly. I giggled and hugged him tightly.

"Hi! What are you doing here, Snowdrift? Why are you down here all by yourself?"

Another shape walked towards us. It was Kaitlin. "I brought him here. Or, well, he brought _me_ here."

I picked up Snowdrift and he licked my face, making me giggle. "No! Don't do that!"

Thomas picked up the burlap sack I had dropped and heaved it over his shoulder. "Let's get this junk back home, alright? Izabell, lead the way."

I nodded and started walking. Snowdrift rubbed up against me, making happy little sounds all the while. "I'm sorry I neglected you," I whispered to him. "I promise I won't do it again." My little snow fox blinked at me and snuggled closer in my arms. He looked at the forest over the crook of my elbow, and I put him down so he could play in the snow.

The little white fox bounded happily in circles around our little group. I spotted Adrian dragging a large log over the snow, with Valory and Lila helping him. There was a new pile of wood next to the storage shed. We walked up to them as the dropped the log next to the others. Thomas waved, and the three of them walked over.

"Hey, guys."

"Hi, Thomas," Valory said. "Lila and I went hunting, like you asked. We caught a couple rabbits and a chicken, but that's it. So we came back to help Adrian with the logging."

Adrian noded. "And I really needed their help. I can barely drag a log over here by myself."

Snowdrift nudged my legs from behind. I stared at the little fox as he padded over the snow towards the house. My worry for Simon suddenly returned and I followed him towards the front door. He reached it before I did, and began scratching it with his little claws. I opened the door and walked in, headed for the med-bay.

Dread filled my chest. Simon wasn't in his cot. The bedsheets and pillow were strewn on the floor. I walked back out and started calling for him. "Simon? Simon!"

Everyone had been chatting amongst themselves at the table, and they turned to look at me in confusion. Sarah stood up. "What's wrong?"

"Simon's not in his bed," I explained. Fear made my hands tremble again. "I can't find him."

The skeleton girl walked over to me. "It's okay, calm down. He must be in here somewhere."

"What if he isn't?" The idea of Simon wandering across the cold snow-covered plains in a feverish daze made me feel sick.

"We'll find him," Thomas assured. "You haven't even checked the rest of the house. He might just be in his room or something."

I forced myself to calm down. "Okay. Let's look for him."

We spent twenty minutes checking and double-checking every room to no avail. I felt miserable, sitting at the table with my head in my hands. Snowdrift tried to comfort me by weaving around my legs. "Are you sure you haven't seen him?" I asked Valory.

"Totally sure," she replied. "We didn't even enter the house when we came back; just dumped our catch and ran off to help Adrian."

"Where could he have gone?" I mumbled to myself. Sarah had been by my side the entire time, and she began rubbing my back soothingly.

"I'm sure Simon's fine, Iza. You know him, he probably just... wandered off wanting to finish one project or another."

"But he never wanders off by himself."

"He's been sick. He might not be thinking straight."

"What if he got hurt or lost out there?" I searched her gaze for reassurance.

My friend sighed. "I don't know. What I do know is that he's resourceful and clever. No matter what, he'll be fine."

A million things went through my head. If he's fine, why did he leave? Is he combing back? When? Did he get hurt? Did his fever worsen? Has he forgotten about us in his daze? About me?

I was about to voice my concerns when a muffled thud reached my ears. I closed my mouth and raised my hand for everyone to be quiet. Snowdrift pricked his ears. A couple seconds passed before another thud rang out. The little snow fox started sniffing the ground. He stopped next to me and started scratching the floor.

I stood up and crouched down on the ground, pressing my ear against the floorboards. I heard a third muffled thud, quickly followed by a triumphant little 'yay'. Relief made me feel weak. I closed my eyes, a tiny smile blooming on my face. "What is it?"

I looked up to see everyone looking down at me with worried eyes. I smiled at them. "I found him," I explained.

"Really?"

I giggled. "Yeah. You won't believe it." I stood up and walked over to the metal hatch beneath the staircase, the one that led to the underground workshop. I pulled it open and gestured for everyone to follow as I climbed down the metal ladder. The lights were on, as well as the metal forge. Simon was standing in the middle of the room, fiddling with something. I ran up to him and enveloped the creeper boy in a tight embrace.

Simon tensed up, startled, but then hugged me back. "Hello, Z. What, uh... what are you doing here?"

I took a deep breath and stepped back. "What am I doing here? You're supposed to be resting in the med-bay!"

Simon frowned. "Oh. I felt cooped-up and restless, so I decided to work while everyone was out. Were were you, by the way?"

Thomas and everyone else gathered behind me, looking at Simon. "Some of us went mining, others went hunting and Adrian went logging."

Simon waved at everyone. "Hey, guys."

Everyone murmured a greeting at Simon, and the creeper boy turned back to his contraption. I groaned and grabbed him by the wrist. "Come on. You're going back to bed."

Simon stumbled a little but held his ground. "Aw, What? No. I just... I'm making stuff for everyone."

I tugged harder. "You shouldn't be walking around, much less making things."

The creeper boy freed himself and took a couple uneven steps back. "Wait, Okay? Just a second. Please."

I glared at him. "Do you know how worried I've been? When I couldn't find you?"

The creeper boy blinked at me and sighed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you again. But that's why I came down here. I wanted to make it up to you, to everyone. So... um... who's was... Lila? Could you come here?"

The cave spider blinked in surprise. "Me?" she said, pointing at herself.

Simon nodded. Lila walked up to him, and the creeper boy wandered over to a wooden box sitting on a table. He brought out five metal... things. They looked like stars with holes in the middle. Simon gave her four of them and showed one off to the rest of us.

"They're shurikens," he explained. "Your knives haven't been exactly reliable in combat, so I thought I'd make you something more effective."

The creeper boy brought the throwing star close to his chest and threw it with all his might at the four wooden targets set up at the far wall of the workshop. It missed all four and bounced harmlessly of the metal wall. Simon chuckled.

"Well, They're _supposed_ to be more effective, but I'm not really the best at using them. Why don't you try?"

Lila stared at the metal stars and stood next to Simon. "They feel different," she commented. "But I think..."

She drew back and threw them all at the same time, quick as a snake. The four stars sailed through the air and landed, one by one, in the center of the wooden targets, halfway buried in the hard wood. Lila smiled.

"I think they could work." The cave spider turned to face Simon. "How many did you make?"

Simon frowned. "Uh... four sets... six... twenty... four? I think?" He walked to the far wall and picked up the stars that were lodged in the targets. Then he wandered back over to the box and pulled out a bag, slipping the shurikens in there. He handed it to Lila. "Here. I'll try to come up with a more efficient way for you to carry them."

The cave spider nodded and rummaged through the bag. Simon's gaze traveled over all of us and landed n Adrian. He waved the wither skeleton over and walked to the wall the metal forge was set up against. There was a row of hooks on the wall, some of which held weapons and tools.

Simon pulled a large broadsword from the wall, as well as a weird double-stacked sheath. Adrian took it, staring at the blade in wonder. "It looks just like mine," he said, swinging it around slowly. "Feels like it too. How did you manage that?"

"I took a couple measurements. The sheath should also work for the obsidian sword, so you can carry both on your back."

Adrian took off the sling where he kept his obsidian sword and pulled said weapon out. He then put on the new sheath and put away both swords. He stepped towards the targets. The wither skeleton grabbed the hilts of the swords. He drew and swung them outward in one fluid motion, leaving deep, nasty scars on the two closest targets.

Adrian put the swords away again. "Thanks, Simon. I think I'll stick to using one at a time since they're both pretty heavy, but the sheath is rather neat."

Simon smiled. "I'm glad you think so. Right... Jack?"

The stray stepped forward as Adrian walked back towards the rest of us. I crossed my arms, feeling rather impatient. Simon picked up the contraption he had been messing with off the table and handed it to Jack. He stared at it for a couple seconds before frowning.

"What is it?"

Simon chuckled. "It's a crossbow. Sort of. Look." The creeper boy brought out a few of crossbow bolts from the box. "You pull this back... and shove a couple bolts in there and then you aim and fire."

Jack listened intently as Simon explained how everything worked. Then he aimed the crossbow with both hands at the closest target. "That's a nice addition," he commented. "The reticle. I like it."

Simon nodded. "I do too. It should make aiming the weapon easier."

The stray took a couple steps back and aimed the weapon again. "I want you to know that I've never fired anything like this," he said. Jack fidgeted a little, trying to find a comfortable way to hold the weapon, and took a deep breath. He pulled the trigger, and the metal bolt shot out of the crossbow's front, piercing one of the wooden targets all the way to the metal wall.

Jack blinked. "That... that's awesome."

Simon walked over and reloaded the crossbow. "I know you and Sarah tend to lean towards fire rate and not power, but I think you'll find the crossbow to be the best of both worlds. It just takes a little practice."

Jack stared at the contraption in his hands and aimed it up again, at the farthest target to the left. He took another deep breath. Then he started firing, really really fast. In less than 3 seconds he had fired all four shots he had left, all of them hitting at least close to the bull's eye. Jack grinned like a madman.

"No way... that's just awesome! How did you make this?"

Simon shrugged. "With lots of difficulty. Shivering because of a fever makes it hard to calibrate and adjust small pieces."

I walked over to the creeper boy and tugged at his hoodie's rolled up sleeves. "That's enough Simon. Come on, back to the med-bay."

The creeper boy drew away from me. "Just a little while longer, okay? I'm almost done."

I sighed and let go of him. "Fine. Only a couple more minutes. I don't want you to get any worse."

Simon smiled. "If anything, being down here has made me feel better."

I shook my head. "Just finish up."

Simon shrugged and walked over to the box on the table. He brought out a wonderfully crafted serrated hunting knife and sheath. He walked up to Sarah, and the skeleton girl took it with a frown.

"Thank you Simon, but I don't need another knife. Mine works just fine."

Simon scoffed. "Yours is more dull than a smooth pebble. I thought you might welcome the replacement, but if you want, I can fix the one you have."

Sarah thought this over for a second before sheathing the knife Simon gave her. "Fine. Might as well put this new one to good use."

The creeper boy walked back to his box and ru,Magee through it. "Eba, I have something that isn't for you, but for Blight."

Eba blinked. "For Blight?"

Simon nodded. "You've told us he doesn't want to wander about the house for fear of damaging it. But he can stand on metal, right? On non-organic stuff."

Eba's eyes turned grey for a split second and she blinked. "That's what he says."

Simon nodded and pulled some boots with metal soles from the box. They looked like black leather from the outside. "Could you ask him to make a shadow so he can try these on?"

Eba nodded. "But the boots are leather, right? Wouldn't they rot?"

Simon made a so-so gesture with his left hand. "Not quite. The material is similar to leather, but, well... you could say it's burnt sap. My theory is that Blight won't be able to rot through it because it doesn't really count as organic at this point."

Everyone stared at Simon as if he'd grown a second head. "Burnt sap?" Jack asked.

Simon sighed. "Not exactly. Come on, let Blight try them on."

Eba nodded, and a trail of dark-gray sand drifted down and formed Blight's 'shadow' standing next to her. Simon nodded and placed the boots on the floor in front of Blight.

"Are you sure this will work?" the demon asked.

"No," Simon answered. "But they were fun to make, and it's worth a try."

Blight stared at the boots and started taking off his own. "How will you test it?"

Simon walke dover to the wall and pulled an extra target from the hooks. "You'll stand on this. It's the same stuff we used for most of the walls and floor. If it rots, I'll try out something else. If it doesn't, then good for both of us.

The demon nodded and put on the new boots. His turned to dust when he let go. Blight hummed thoughtfully as he slipped them on. "Well they haven't dissolved yet, so that's a start."

Simon nodded and placed the wooden target on the floor. "Alright then. Step on the target."

Blight slipped in the other boot and carefully nudged the target with his foot. Then he moved to stand on it. The circular wooden slab didn't move, or melt, or break or whatever was supposed to happen. Eba's demon smiled.

"Looks like you were right. Thank you, Simon."

"You're welcome," the creeper boy replied. He picked up the target, hung it up again, and started going through the stuff in the box once again. "Okay... Kait?"

The blaze princess walked up to him. Simon nodded to himself and pulled out a helmet from his box of trinkets. It was wonderfully crafted, with metal points drawing back like crests on the top and sides. The front had a sort of heart-shaped opening for Kaitlin to see through. She inspected the helmet.

"I know it's not much," Simon began. "But after many projects and ideas, I figure this is the most I can offer you. Your fighting style is unique; you don't use any weapons except for the flames that erupt from your hands. So, if I can't make you a sword or bow or any other other weapon, I might as well give you some armor."

Kaitlin blinked at Simon and slipped on the helmet with a smile. "Thank you, Simon. I like it. And it's comfortable."

Simon smiled back. "Well, I'm glad you like it." He turned around and started going through his box of trinkets again. "Valory, come here please."

The spider walked up to Simon, and he brought out a gauntlet and a weirdly-shaped metal frame. "For you and Falconheart. The gauntlet should make it safe for him to grip you tightly, and it has a small compartment for a pen and paper if you want to send a message."

The creeper boy showed her the gauntlet, and Valory put it on. "Now this," Simon went on, "I think you'll really like. It's armor for Falconheart."

I blinked and took a closer look at the armor. It did kind of look like Falconheart, Val's big, mean pet phantom. Valory looked just as surprised at Simon's words. "Armor?"

Simon nodded. "Yeah. You place it on top of Falconheart's cloak so it's comfortable. Most arrows should bounce harmlessly off the plates, and they're not so heavy that it'll weigh him down too much."

Valory nodded, a smile tugging the corners of her lips upward. "Thanks, Simon. I'll have Falconheart try it out as soon as I can."

Simon nodded and rubbed his eyes, but he was smiling. "Great. Thomas?"

The guy left Sarah's side and stood in front of Simon. Just like Adrian and Eba, he towered over the creeper boy, but he didn't seem fazed in the least. Simon pulled out another box from beneath the table and brought out a metal chest plate.

"I know how you like running head-first into battle, so I thought armor would be the most beneficial thing for you." The creeper boy handed him metal elbow and knee guards as well as a helmet.

Thomas tried everything on. "It's a bit heavy, but comfortable."

Simon shrugged. "I think the protection it offers is well worth the weight."

Thomas nodded and started taking the armor off. Simon rummaged through his box and stopped. "Okay... now... Z, come here."

I blinked at him and frowned. "Could it Wait? You need to go back to the med-bay."

Simon's shoulder's sagged and he blinked tiredly. "Come on, Z. Please."

Sarah walked up to me and pushed me forward a little. "Play along. Go."

I sighed and walked towards Simon. His eye brightened a little and he went back to searching in his box. I crossed my arms and waited. "To you... I give..."

He lifted something out, hidden in his closed hand. The creeper boy eased my arms to my sides. He opened his fist, and something attached to a chain tumbled out. It was a beautiful glittering pendant, shaped like a heart with a star in the center. A little gasp escaped me. The chain shone as if it were made from tiny suns, and the firelight from the metal forge cast an orange light on the little heart. It was gorgeous.

"To you, Izabell," he murmured, moving closer to place the pendant around my neck. The pendant's chain felt cold but comfortably heavy. I looked up from the pendant to stare at Simon, feeling dumbstruck. His gaze held nothing but warmth and affection, his eyes dark-green pools of pure love. He connected both ends of the pendant's chain and moved his hands to cup my cheeks.

"I give my love and devotion. There is nothing I can make... with my own two hands... that will show you how much I care. How much you mean to me. You are my best friend. My beloved. My inspiration and muse. My everything."

My heart pounded against my chest, so hard that I thought he'd be able to hear it. I could do nothing but stare. Simon smiled and gently kissed my forehead. "I'm sorry I scared you, he whispered. "It wasn't my intention."

I broke into a smile. Tears were forming in my eyes, blurring the edges of my vision. I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him close to me. I knew our friends were watching, but I didn't care. He reacted instantly, and with the same hunger. The rest of the world faded around us, until the only thing left was me and Simon.

It felt like ages when we finally pulled apart, gasping for breath. I buried my face in Simon's chest and hugged him tightly. "I love you," he whispered, holding me close.

I squeezed him tighter. "I love you too," I murmured back. A thought crawled it's way into my mind and I giggled softly.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I forgot," I replied. "You're sick."

I felt Simon smile, his mouth next to my ear. "Sorry. I'll take care of you if you fall ill."

I pushed him playfully away. "You can't even take care of yourself."

"I'll get better," he said, trying to wrap his arms around me again. I struggled a little before giving in and leaning against me. A happy little sigh escaped me, and I closed my eyes. Thomas cleared his throat, causing me to open them again. His cheeks were tinged with red.

Everyone looked a little flustered, even the skeleton cousins, who's poker faces usually helped them conceal such emotion. Thomas heaved a sigh. "Um... should we leave you alone?"

I giggled. Simon kissed the top of my head and pushed me forward. "No, it's alright. We should go prepare lunch anyways."

Everyone nodded, looking slightly relieved. I felt my own blush crawling on my cheeks and let Simon guide me to the ladder. We waited patiently as everyone else climbed out of the workshop. The creeper boy shut off the forge and flicked off the lights before following me out.

Snowdrift had been waiting quietly and by himself beside the open hatch, and he jumped to his feet when he spotted my. I picked him up, and the little snow fox began rubbing against me happily. He yipped at Simon, wriggled out of my arms, and wove around his legs. The creeper boy chuckled and picked the little fox up, caressing his flank with a hand.

"Hey, Snowdrift. How are you, buddy?"

The little fox yipped excitedly and nuzzled his cheek. I smiled at the tender sight. Simon put down Snowdrift and took my hand. His other hand tucked some strands of hair behind my ears. His hand rested on my cheek, warm and comforting. "It looks good on you," he commented, gesturing at the pendant with his head.

"Thank you," I replied. "I love it. How long did it take you to finish it?"

He smiled again. "Much longer than I'd like to admit. It just had to be perfect."

I felt my blush deepen slightly. "It didn't have to be."

"Yes it did," he replied.

I kissed his cheek quickly and started walking towards the kitchen. "Come on. We need to help with the food."

Simon took my hand again and walked by my side. "Alright then. Let's help."

I heaved a happy sigh, finally letting go of the worries that had weighed me down for days. Simon was getting better. And everyone was happy. Nothing would sour this moment. I'd cherish the memory for the rest of my life. I mentally promised myself to never forget. Not until the end of my days. Days spent at Simon's side, always.

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Author's Notes

looooooong sigh* That felt good. I enjoyed writing this chapter. :D

Thank you all for your time and patience. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	55. Searching For Flowers

Author's Notes

Y'know, I might just stop saying sorry for a chapter being late and start celebrating when the chapter's on schedule. Just cuz.

Anywho, Reviews!

GiggiEba, I'm glad you think so. I like the cover, with or without the hi-def. :)

ThinMint, thanks. And yeah, Snowdrift is vewy cute. I like making my stories cutesy and funny, except for (obviously) when I'm writing action scenes and such.

Welp, let's get on with the story!

I think it's time to address something between Lila and Jack...

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Jack's POV

I drew back a little wooden slab on top of the crossbow to reload and aimed at the tree in front of me. There were already 12 other crossbow bolts buried in the poor oak's tough bark. I fired the weapon and reloaded.

Valory had pushed me to finally speak outright to Lila, to tell her how I feel. I'm not sure if that's a good idea, though. She'd always pushed me away whenever I tried to talk with her, or she ignored me comepletely. So here I was, taking out my frustrations on an innocent tree.

Simon got better, and Izabell didn't get sick, and they have been spending even more time together, if that's at all possible. With Snowdrift, of course. The creeper boy got busy right away, pouring ideas and showing off sketches to Thomas. The guy looked overwhelmed with all the stuff Simon was telling him, but he did agree to help him with one thing.

They were going to build a third airship. As if two weren't enough.

So now everyone was gathering even more wood and metal. Lila and Val were working tirelessly, 'knitting' together the balloon with their string. This would be the only time I'd be able to talk to her without Adrian being nearby, since he was in charge of logging with Thomas and Eba.

Izabell, Simon and Sarah went mining again, still hoping to find diamonds. Kaitlin got to stay at the house to take care of Flicker and Snowdrift, and I... sort of slipped away without anyone noticing. I needed time to think, to figure out what I would tell Lila. "Should I bring her some flowers?" I muttered to myself.

"Could I even find flowers during winter? Is there any left in the forest?" I mused, pacing in front of the tree. "Maybe I should look. There might be some flowers somewhere. But should I just walk up to her with them? Should I save them as a surprise? Or present or whatever? Will she listen to me this time?"

Doubt started creeping in, so I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. "It's alright... it's okay... she's your friend. There is nothing to worry about." I heaved a sigh of defeat.

"Who am I kidding? She doesn't even talk to me. I'll just humiliate myself. I should just... leave it alone and hope for the best." I started plucking the metal rods from the tree.

"Why is it so hard to talk to her?" I groaned. "Fuck, I'd rather face off against an army of creepers than have to suffer her wrath. I mean, she's even worse than my uncle!"

The Skeleton king was known to be stubborn and hot-headed, and because of a misunderstanding regarding my brother's suicide, I was forced to run away and never come back. That's why Sarah and Adrian are out here to begin with; my uncle sent them to bring me back so I could 'face justice'.

So, yeah, me saying someone is worse than uncle Troyel means a lot. I tucked the crossbow bolts into my pockets and started heading back home. Something else that's neat about the weapon is that with the push of a button the bow arms fold back so I can sling it over my shoulder. Very comfortable for carrying around.

I walked out of the forest and into the snow-covered plains. An idea was forming in my head, but I'd need help. The mining party had apparently returned, which was good news for me. I trudged into the house and took off my boots, already searching for Simon and Izabell. The couple was lounging on the couch, just talking together.

I sat down beside them. "Hey, guys."

Simon nodded. Izabell smiled. "Hi, Jack."

"Hey, uh... I need to borrow Snowdrift for a while."

The little snow fox had been curled up on Izabell's lap, and he pricked his ears at the mention of his name. The slime girl looked shocked. Simon raised an eyebrow. "_Borrow_ Snowdrift? What for?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling nervous. "Well, Valory convinced me to... speak to Lila about my feelings for her, and I thought that maybe Snowdrift would be able to help me find some flowers."

Izabell smiled, looking a bit confused. "Okay... I'm sure Val knows what she's doing." The slime girl exchanged a knowing look with Simon, and continued. "I guess Snowdrift could help. He's no bloodhound, but he did follow us all the way to the mine without ever having been there."

"Yeah, my thoughts exactly."

Simon frowned. "I doubt you'll find much. Most flowers wither in this weather. But there may be some hiding under bracken or ferns in the forest."

Izabell nodded and picked up Snowdrift. The little fox blinked at her and licked the slime girl's nose, causing her to giggle. "Do you want to go, buddy?"

The fox yipped and licked her again. "Okay, Okay! You can go." She put Snowdrift down and the little white fox walked over to me, so I leaned down to pet him. "Promise me you won't let him out of your sight."

I looked up to stare into Izabell's worried eyes. I gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. "Of course. I'll take good care of him, I promise."

Simon leaned closer to Izabell and whispered in her ear. It was barely loud enough for me to understand, which I guess wasn't his intention. "I could ask Ara to follow him if you want. To keep an eye on Snowdrift."

The slime girl smiled and pushed him playfully away, earning a grin from Simon. "You can trust me," I told her. "Snowdrift will be just fine."

"I know, Jack," she told me, still smiling. "It's Simon who's not trusting enough." She cast a mischevious, loving glance at the creeper boy.

He shrugged. "It's in my nature to be skeptical. Most creepers are."

She nudged him playfully and turned back to me. "So yeah, you can take Snowdrift, Jack."

I smiled. "Thank you, guys. I promise that nothing will happen to Snowdrift."

Izabell nodded, currently busy trying to untangle herself from Simon's nuzzles and loving embrace. "Good luck!" she called to me as I picked up Snowdrift and walked towards the door. The little white fox wiggled in my grasp upon feeling the cold air, so I put him down. He started sniffing the cold ground and bounding happily over lumps of snow.

"Um... uh, Snowdrift? Could you come here?" The little fox stopped and stared at me over his shoulder, tail-tip twitching. Then he reluctantly padded closer. "I need you to help me, okay?" I told him slowly. "We're going to go into the forest to look for some flowers. So I need you to stop playing for a little while. Could you do that for me buddy?"

The little snow fox blinked at me and sat down. I sighed. "Well, I guess that's a maybe. Come on, I'd like to use up the sunlight while we still can."

I trudged through the snow towards the forest's edge, Snowdrift following tamely behind. We passed Lila and Valory on our way there. Val waved, smiling quizzically at Snowdrift. Her sister didn't even look up. I waved back and kept walking, pulling my cloak's hood on. Once in the forest I took it off and began searching.

"Okay," I told Snowdrift. "Simon said there might be flowers underneath ferns, so let's look for big ones to check under." Snowdrift lapped some snow off his paw and sat down. I heaved a sigh. "You're not being much help, buddy." The little white fox blinked at me and twitched his ears. I smiled and shook my head.

"This is going to take a long, long time."

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Lila's POV

"Why do you have to be so mean?"

I looked up to see Valory frowning at me. "Mean?"

"Yeah," she answered. "You didn't even say hi."

I blinked. "To who?"

Valory huffed. "To Jack!"

"Jack was here?"

She groaned and went back to her side of the balloon. I felt a little guilty—only a little—for not having realized that Jack had walked by. But I had been distracted by something else. Some_one_ else. Something... happened that day when Simon handed out all the gifts in his feverish state. While he and Izabell had been losing themselves in each other, Adrian had... held my hand.

Up until this point, there had been no physical contact between us, despite being best friends. We simply talked together. So his little gesture took me by surprise. I stared dumbfoundedly at our joined hands for a second, feeling warm and fuzzy all over, before looking up at him. The wither skeleton looked a bit flustered, and just as surprised at what he had done. He let go after a moment longer, and we took a step apart in embarrassment. We haven't talked about it yet, haven't really talked much since. And it was bugging me. A lot.

I know I like him, Val knows I like him, but did he like me? Why would he hold my hand if that wasn't the case? Did he think of it as only a friendly gesture? If so, why had he blushed? Why hasn't he wanted to talk about it? Why haven't I brought it up? Why had we been avoiding each other? Was it too awkward?

And a million other questions that had kept me up at night.

So I was distracted, trying to think of a way to confront Adrian about it. I hadn't told Valory yet, and I wasn't sure if I should. She would probably find a way to fix it somehow, but she might start bugging me about Jack again and nothing would actually happen.

Val and I took a break from knitting a couple hours later, and walked inside to join everyone for lunch. I sat down next to Adrian, as usual, but we only nodded at each other in greeting and then he looked away. I sighed in defeat and turned to talk with Kaitlin. The blaze princess was hugging Flicker close, preventing the mischevious baby creeper from running all over the table and causing a mess.

We had our lunch and then went back to work. Adrian and I didn't talk the whole time, but that wasn't the weirdest thing. "Where's Jack?" Valory had asked.

I looked over Kaitlin, and sure enough, the stray wasn't there. Simon finished chewing, swallowed, and spoke. "He took Snowdrift out for a while. He'd have come back if he was hungry. And Ara would have returned to tell me if he was in trouble."

Izabell almost chocked. "You still sent Ara despite me strictly prohibiting it?"

The creeper boy shrugged. "Like I said, skeptical by nature. But she's only tailing them to make sure no monsters appear out of nowhere. For their safety."

The slime girl shook her head. "You're so stubborn," she muttered.

"Guilty as charged," he murmured back.

Val looked only slightly reassured that nothing had happened to Jack, but she went back to eating anyway. I had shot Adrian a glance, but he either ignored it or didn't notice, just kept shifting his food around the plate.

I sat back on the cold grass. "Done," I said triumphantly.

Valory looked up from her section of the balloon. "Already?"

"Yep. Do you need help or can I go do my own thing?"

My sister shook her head and waved me away. "Go. You haven't been very good company for the past hour."

I smiled at her. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Val shrugged, a faint smile on her face. "You're not being very talkative, and it's kind of boring. It'd be the same with or without you."

I faked indignation. "Ex-_cuse_ me, I happen to be very open, talkative, and efficient, so I find your complaints to be without reason."

She giggled. "Oh, yeah, just like how you _efficiently_ messed up that section over there, right?"

I scoffed playfully and started walking away. "I fixed it, didn't I?"

"You only fixed it after I started barking orders at you!" She shot back, laughter in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah," I called back, knowing she had beat me.

I wandered towards the forest, lost in my own thoughts, and stumbled into Adrian. He was chopping down a log with his obsidian broadsword, making long, deep gashes in the tough bark. I leaned against a tree and waited for him to notice I was there. He took a couple more swings at the old oak before putting away his sword his sword. He was wearing the double-stacked sheath Simon had made for him, the Iron replica of his sword in the bottom part.

"So, are you gonna greet me, or will you just keep staring at me?" he said, turning to face me. There were a few beads of sweat on his forehead that were rapidly drying up. I took a couple steps forward.

"Hmm... I think I'll just keep staring."

He chuckled and shook his head. "How are you?"

I shrugged. "Alright, I suppose. You?"

The wither skeleton rolled his shoulders. "A little tired, but otherwise fine."

I nodded, staring at the tree he had been cutting down. "That's good." He had cut all the way to the middle of its trunk; only a few more swings would bring it down. "How many trees have you cut down?"

"Six, I think. Eba's helping Thomas bring them back, so I'm stuck with chopping and dragging. Otherwise, I'd have doubled that number easily."

"No kidding," I said. "I think the forest will thank Eba for not helping you, though. The valley would look pretty empty without any trees."

We smiled at each other, and Adrian took a couple steps towards me. "Why are you here? I thought you were helping Valory with the balloon."

"I finished early," I explained. "And Val said she could handle the rest, so I have free time."

He nodded and turned to look at the tree. "I think if I bring this one down and you help me drag it back home, Thomas would let me go if I asked him."

"Sure, I'll help."

"Great. Stand back, though. I don't want to cut you in half by accident."

"Oh, I doubt you could, but I'd rather not find out."

Adrian chuckled again and I stood back, watching as he drew the iron sword this time. "Let's see if this one's sharper," he said before swinging the weapon with all his might. It lodged itself into the tree, extending the gash from the middle point to three quarters of the way to the other side. The wither skeleton hummed thoughtfully.

"It's about the same. Simon really knows his stuff."

I drew a single throwing star from the pouch hanging at my waist, throwing it quickly. It leaned inches from his face, buried in the tough wood. "Yeah, he does," I said, cracking up as he jumped back in surprise.

"Hey, watch it! You could have killed me."

I tried to stifle my laughter, failing miserably. "Sorry," I choked out, "didn't mean to scare you like that. Oh, wait, yes I did."

Adrian shook his head and plucked the shuriken from the tree. "You're dangerous," he said, throwing the metal star back at me. I plucked it from the air with ease.

"You know it," I told him with a smile.

I helped him (barely; those logs are heavy) drag the tree in pieces back to the house. Thomas and Eba were dragging their own set of logs back, so we waited for them by the storage shed. The endergirl dropped the log and wiped her brow with her black hoodie sleeves, moving stray hairs out of her face.

"Hey, guys. How are you?"

Adrian smiled and nodded. "We're Okay. You?"

She shrugged. "Blight's been bugging me about this or that, and I'm pretty beat, but otherwise great."

"That's good to hear," I told her.

Thomas walked over to us after making sure the logs wouldn't roll away. "Hey Adrian. Hi Lila."

"Hello."

"Hi yourself."

He dusted himself off a bit, sawdust going everywhere, before looking back up. "What're you guys doing here?"

I opened my mouth but Adrian beat me to it. "I was wondering, Thomas, if you'd let me just... take a break? I've brought seven trees back."

Thomas blinked then smiled at the wither skeleton. "Okay, first; you don't have to ask for permission, Adrian. You're our friend. Of course you can take a break. And, seven trees? All by yourself?"

The wither skeleton rubbed the back of his neck. "Technically, Lila helped me with the seventh."

Thomas sighed. "You're gonna get a hernia or something, man. And I don't think Izabell would be too happy about that. If you need help, all you have to do is ask."

"But I didn't," he mumbled to himself. I shook my head and turned to face Thomas.

"Well, thanks for that, we're going to go waste time somewhere else. Bye," I waved, already walking away.

The wither skeleton excused himself and hurried after me. "See you later!" Eba called after us.

Adrian and I wandered aimlessly into the forest, talking about nothing in particular. But honestly, it felt good to simply chat with him again. And I almost forgot about what I had wanted to confront him about. I thought of maybe tip-toeing around the subject, but then didn't.

"Hey, do you remember what happened that day Simon gave us our new weapons and such?"

Adrian tensed a little, and answered me a split second later than he should've. "Not really. Why?"

I crossed my arms and glared at him. The wither skeleton kept his innocent façade for a moment longer and then sighed. "Yes, I do. Why?"

"Why? You've been avoiding me ever since!"

"To me it felt like _you_ were doing the avoiding."

"Don't try to switch the blame!"

"I'm not. I'm just explaining my point of view."

_I don't care about your point of view!_ I wanted to shout at him. But I did care, and I knew saying that would only make things worse. "Okay... then explain. Explain what happened. And why you did it."

Adrian frowned. He looked very uncomfortable and tired. "I don't know," he told me. "And I don't know why. I just did it, without thought or reason."

I let my hands drop back to my sides. "Then why didn't you want to talk about it?"

The wither skeleton shrugged. "I thought it would be too awkward. And that you'd find it weird or even repulsive. And you never brought it up."

I heaved a sigh. "I'd never find you repulsive. And I didn't bring it up because I thought you would find it awkward or weird."

Adrian chuckled. "Well, I guess we were both afraid to bring it up."

"Yeah..."

We stared at each other for a couple moments. The cold air felt still, and nothing moved among the underbrush. I finally gathered all of my courage and spoke again. "What did it mean? To you?"

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "What?"

I gestured vaguely with my hand. "The thing, th-the... the thing."

"Oh." The wither skeleton rubbed the back of his neck again. "Um... I... I guess it was... nice." He whispered. "It felt nice."

I blinked at him. Adrian squirmed under my gaze, and if he had been an enderman he probably would have warped away. His cheeks were tinged with red. I felt my own blush crawl on my face. "Yeah, I-I guess it did."

More silence. It stretched out like a chasm between us. Adrian started heading back to the house. "I told you it'd be awkward," he muttered.

I stared after the wither skeleton until the forest swallowed him. I heaved another sigh and wandered back home.

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Jack's POV

"Eureka! I found another!"

I crawled out from under a prickly bush and dusted snow off my clothes. Snowdrift watched curiously, a small bouquet of flowers clamped in his jaws. It consisted of mostly white and pink tulips, as well as a single bluebell. I pet the little fox's head and took the flowers from him.

"Thanks buddy. You were very helpful. Come on, it's about time we headed back. I'm starving."

Snowdrift shook himself and padded back towards the house. "I guess you're hungry too," I murmured to myself, following him slowly.

It may have taken almost the whole day, but I had finally gathered enough flowers for Lila. The sun was starting to dip below the horizon. Everyone would be having dinner. Snowdrift waited for me in front of the door, sitting down and cleaning a paw. I walked past him, towards the storage shed. I didn't want anyone finding out about the flowers before I had a chance to talk with Lila in private.

I wrapped them up carefully in some cloth and tucked them into one of my cloak's pockets (I asked Val to add them so I'd be able to carry more weapons or arrows). Snowdrift shifted impatiently as I neared. "Sorry, bud," I told him. "Had to do something real quick. Come on."

I opened the door and the little snow fox slipped inside. I walked in after him, closing and locking the door afterwards. Just as I had thought, everyone was at the table. Only a few of them looked up to greet me before returning to their meal. I sat down in my usual spot beside Kaitlin. Simon got up and walked into the kitchen, coming back a few seconds later with a bowl of food, which he placed in front of me.

I thanked him and dug in, casting furtive glances at Lila. The cave spider looked tired, and a little annoyed. She and Adrian weren't chatting like they usually did. I decided to ask Valory later what that was about. Slowly everyone started heading up to their rooms, until it was just me, Val, Adrian and Lila. I finished my bowl of soup and got up. "I'm going to get more," I told no-one in particular. I walked into the kitchen and made sure nobody was watching before carefully pulling the bundle of flowers out from my cloak pockets. I laid the fragile things out, gently picking them up an tying them with a piece of pink string I found in one of the cupboards.

I washed my bowl and put it away before peeking out of the kitchen. Only Valory was left. I picked up the bouquet and walked out of the kitchen. The spider was playing distractedly with her string, making little shapes and webs out of it.

I walked up to her. "Where's Lila?"

"In her room," Val said absentmindedly. She looked deeply lost in her thoughts. I decided to leave her alone and walked upstairs, towards Lila's room. Hers was on the third floor, all the way in the corner.

I got a sudden rush of nervousness and uncertainty. Would this be too weird? Just... barging into her room with flowers? She probably wouldn't be asleep yet; I had only gone into the kitchen about ten or fifteen minutes. I took a few deep breaths.

_It's okay... it'll be fine. She _might_ be asleep, so then I'd have to talk with her in the morning. If not, then... I guess I'll just have to roll with it. Okay... right. You can do this. Come on._

I took a few more steps forward. My arms and legs were trembling. I breathed deeply a few more times to steady myself. _Oookay. Keep it together. Three... two... one..._

I stopped in front of her door and reached for the knob. I realized that it wasn't closed, that it stood slightly ajar. _That's weird,_ I thought absently. I swallowed a lump in my throat and opened it slowly. "Lila?" I whispered.

The lights were out on the hallway and inside, so it took a couple seconds for my eyes to get used to the gloom. And once they did, my heart shattered into a million pieces.

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Adrian's POV

"I'm going to go get more."

I looked up in time to see Jack slipping into the kitchen. "It's a bit late for such a heavy meal," I muttered to myself.

Lila heaved a sigh and got up. "I'll be in my room," she announced before walking upstairs.

I stared after her, feeling hollow and unsure of myself. Val had been toying with her webs for a while, and now looked up. "Tell me, Adrian. What happened?"

I blinked at her. "Lila hasn't told you?"

The spider shook her head and stared expectantly at me. I rubbed the back of my neck. "I held her hand when Simon and Izabell had been making out the other day. When he gave us our new weapons. And... well, it was pretty awkward, and talking about it seemed to have made the matter worse."

Valory nodded thoughtfully. "She likes you. Very much," she finally said. "But she's worried that you don't feel the same way."

I shrank back in my seat, suddenly feeling vulnerable. "I doubt that," I muttered.

Valory put down her tangled web. "Listen, I know my sister much better than she thinks. I know what I'm talking about."

"But she's always so sure of herself. Why would she be worried about my opinion of her?"

The spider leaned forward. "Do you like her?"

I squirmed under her gaze. "I don't know," I muttered, looking away.

"Do. You. Like. Her?"

Valory's tone was stern and commanding. I turned back to her, unable to avoid the red eyes so similar to Lila's boring into me. "I... d-don't-... yes," I breathed out. "I think so. A lot."

Val crossed her arms, elbows on the table. "Why?"

"Well... because she's so... confident. And fierce. Clever. Strong. Independent. Quick-thinking. Even her... rudeness, I like."

Valory searched my gaze for a second before nodding. "Go with her. She'll thank you for the company."

I shook my head. "I think I'm the last person she wants to see."

"If you don't talk with her now, she'll take it as an insult."

"Do you think so?"

"I know so. Go," she said, gesturing to the stairs before going back to her webs. I hesitated for a moment longer before standing up and walking upstairs, to Lila's room. I stopped in front of her door and knocked.

"It's open," she called from the inside.

I slowly turned the knob and walked inside. The lights were out. Lila was sitting in the middle of her bed, hugging her legs close to her chest, wearing some black-and-maroon pajamas. I closed the door quietly behind me and stood there, staring silently at her. The moonlight streaming in from the window made her dark-cyan hair glow silver, turned the red streak in it an almost pink color. Her eyes shone in the gloom, half-lidded with tiredness, hiding behind her knees.

"Hello, Adrian," she spoke softly.

"Hi, Lila," I murmured back.

The cave spider stared at me for a few more seconds before placing her chin on her knees, letting me see her whole face framed by shadow. "What are you doing here?" She whispered.

I sighed. "I don't know," I whispered. "I... came to talk with you. But I'm not sure about what."

Lila blinked and buried her face in her hands. "Val put you up to this, didn't she?"

"Not exactly."

"What did she tell you? What did she tell you to ask me?"

"Nothing. She just encouraged me to do so."

The cave spider stared at me through the cracks between her fingers. Her maroon gaze, bright under the moonlight, was hypnotizing. "Then What did you want to ask me?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I don't know," I repeated. "I just wanted to talk with you."

Lila hid her face behind her arms. "We need to sort this, Adrian. Right now."

I took a step closer. "Sort what?"

She looked up sharply. "Us. I need to know. Do you feel the same way as I do? Or do you not care?"

I stood there, speechless at her words. I took a couple more steps forward and opened my mouth, but Lila continued before I could speak. "Was that why you let go? Why you didn't want to talk about the hand-holding thing? Because you don't like me? Am I only a friend to you? Why do I bother?"

She swung her legs out to sit at the edge of the bed. "It's obvious you don't care. I've just been fooling myself. Good night, Adrian. Now go away."

I was shocked to say the least, but then I put on a brave face and stepped closer. "Lila-"

"Go away, Adrian. Leave me alone."

I ignored her tone and kept walking. "Lila-" I began again.

"Go away," she hissed. "I don't want to talk to you."

I stood beside her now, at the foot of her bed. She glared at me with her gorgeous eyes framed by thin black lashes. Her beautiful lips were curled back in a scowl. Even when angry she still looked pretty.

"But _I_ do," I whispered. "And I _do_ like you. Very much. You're an incredible person, Lila."

The cave spider's scowl slowly turned into a confused frown. "Really?" She breathed, as if she didn't believe me.

I nodded, sitting down beside her on the bed. "Really. The only reason why I didn't want to talk about what happened was because... because I thought you didn't like me. You always act so nonchalantly about everything. You shrug everything off. So I thought that... if you didn't take certain things seriously, then... maybe you wouldn't take _me_ seriously. That you only wanted to be my friend and nothing more."

Her eyes sparkled in wonder and hope, and her thin lips were parted ever so slightly. "I'm sorry-" I began.

And then Lila kissed me. She threw her arms around my neck and dragged me down, brushing our lips together. There was a considerable heigh difference between us, with me being 6'3 against her 5'6. I tensed up, my mind blank for a split second, before responding. Lila drew all the air from my lungs, pressing her soft lips tightly against mine. I pulled her closer, my hands at her sides.

Lila opened her mouth, panting heavily. I took the opportunity to catch my breath, and she dove in as soon as my mouth opened, stealing the little oxygen I had recovered. I mirrored her every move, trying hard to keep up with her. We finally pulled away, our foreheads touching, to breathe. I stared at her flushed face and closed eyes, reliving the moments when her lips had been pressing against my own.

The cave spider took a deep breath and started kissing me again. Prepared this time, I kissed her back with the same hunger. Lila bit my bottom lip hard enough to draw a drop of blood, and then she passed her warm toungue over it to ease the pain. "Sorry," she panted. "Didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's alright," I breathed back. "Don't worry."

Lila collapsed against me, still panting. "Not just for that," she said. "But for being such a... a douche. I should have at least waited to hear what you were going to say."

I shook my head. "You would have been waiting for a long time," I murmured back. Lila smiled.

"Still. I'm sorry, Adrian."

I placed my chin on the top of her head. "That's alright. We've settled it now."

"Yeah..." She hugged my waist. "This is... a long step up from simply holding hands," she whispered.

I chuckled, earning another smile from the cave spider. "It really is. How did we get here so fast?" I asked, curling my arms around her.

Lila shrugged. "You got too close."

I chuckled again. We sat there, wrapped in each other's arms for a while, simply watching the moon glide down slowly. Lila placed her had on mine, rubbing circles on my palm with her thumb. I squeezed it, and she returned the gesture.

"Should I stay here tonight?" I asked in a hushed tone.

Lila thought about it for a second and shook her head. "I think you should go back to your room. I'd rather not explain you leaving my room in the morning to everyone right now."

I hugged her tightly for a second longer before letting go and moving to stand up. "Okay. If that's what you want."

"Thanks," she whispered.

I was still holding her hand, so I squeezed it. "No problem." I let go of her and walked towards the door. I felt Lila's gaze on my back at every step. The door had been left halfway open. "I thought I closed it," I told her. Lila didn't say anything.

I stepped outside and started closing the door. I clung to it, looking at Lila through the gap between the door and the doorframe. "Goodnight," I called to her.

Lila blinked and smiled at me. I felt warm and fuzzy all over from the simple gesture. "Good night, Adrian. Sleep well."

I smiled back and closed the door. "You too," I whispered.

It took me a couple minutes before my legs started moving again. I touched my lips, still feeling the ghost of hers brushing against them. I felt happy. And I probably wouldn't be able to sleep in some time. I walked past Valory's room towards mine and closed the door as I stepped in. There was something else, though. I felt a little light-headed, and my limbs were quivering. I felt weak. My head was throbbing too.

"What the hell?" I whispered, falling onto my bed. I drew up the covers and tried to get comfortable. But my stomach had started to hurt as well. "I'll feel better in the morning," I muttered to myself. I thrashed restlessly on the soft wool mattress, feeling worse with every second that passed.

Eventually, the pain in my head and stomach became unbearable, so I tried to go downstairs, feeling parched. But the second I got up, my knees buckled beneath me. I stumbled onto the floor, unable to stand up. I shivered from cold that I shouldn't have been able to feel indoors. "H-h-elp," I croaked.

"H-help... me..."

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Author's Notes

Woah, what happened? What's wrong with Adrian??? D:

Poor Jack... lots of stuff happened in this one...

Thank you so much for your time and support. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	56. More Apologoes

Author's Notes

I know I said I'd stop apologizing for chapters being late, but I just can't help myself. Sorry. :I

And now, Reviews!

GiggiEba, well, perhaps. You'll find out soon. If you think that was a turmoil, then hoo-boy is this going to be wild. :D

ThinMint, yeah, pretty much. Thank you for not spoiling anything. :)

Guest, thank you! You're about to find out.

Anywho, let's get on with the story!

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Darkness's POV

I played absently with a dagger made from my black flames, twirling it over in my hand. I was sitting atop a boulder a little ways away from my troops, under the shade of a tall oak. I heard footsteps behind me, and I turned to see my Argonaut general staring at me with barely-concealed pride. The wither skeleton cleared his throat.

"My liegé it is ready. The bridge has been finished."

I stood up quickly, a grim form of happiness flowing in my veins. The dagger I had been holding fell to the ground and went up in flames. I walked past my general, back towards the chasm that had stopped us for so long from attacking the clans.

The rest of my generals were lined up beside my monster army, waiting for my command. I approached my Necronaut general, who had been in charge of the endermen that were building the massive cobblestone bridge. I nodded at the bridge.

"Is it safe to cross?"

The general nodded. "Indeed, my lord. The endermen made sure it wouldn't collapse under our combined weight. A hundred iron golems could walk across it and the bridge would not so much as shift."

I smiled and walked to the front of the bridge. From above it didn't look like much, but gazing far below revealed how complex the bridge truly was. It was anchored to the walls of the chasm with multiple rock poles, which were connected to support each other like a massive dull spiderweb. I stood up on a nearby boulder to look down at my troops and raised my hands.

"My armada! It is time, at long last, to continue our journey!"

A chorus of roars and hisses bounced off the stone surface of the mountain. I felt pure glee. "The construction of the bridge has been concluded! Now we must cross, and continue marching to Veridon City!"

More sounds of monster triumph.

I drew my sword, the magma-stone still imbedded in its hilt, and pointed the black blade at the other side of the bridge. "Onwards, my troops! To victory!"

An even greater outroar followed my the sound of many feet stomping on the ground, all of my monsters moving as one shape over the large stone bridge. I walked up to my Necronaut general again. "Where is the mutant enderman, General?"

"I believe he is still at the bottom of the chasm, my liegé, likely toying with rocks."

I nodded and walked up to the edge. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the mutant enderman was indeed at the bottom of the chasm. It was simply standing there, probably not knowing what to do. I kicked a pebble down to attract the monster's attention. It looked up at me with its large purple eyes, and I gestured for it to come up and out of there.

The enderman warped to stand beside me at the lip of the chasm. I walked further inland, for safety reasons. The enderman stood where it was. I turned to face it, hands clasped behind my back.

"I must congratulate you for such a stellar job. However, there is another task I need you to accomplish."

The enderman knelt down and bowed before me. I could not help but feel satisfied with the creature. "You have built for me, but now I need you to destroy."

The monster looked up and waited for my orders. I pointed west. "If you travel in this direction, you will encounter a valley framed by mountains. The plains in the center harbor your target. A tall building, three stories tall, was built there." I leaned closer to the monster. "I want you to tear it down, and slay everything in your wake."

The monster stood up slowly and roared into the sky before warping away. I watched as purple particles drifted down onto the snow-clodden earth. Then I turned to face my army. "Faster, troops! Move it! We have no time to lose!"

Even if my monster somehow failed to kill my brother, I'd still arrive at my target long before him, and it would be too late to save the clans.

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Valory's POV

We all crowded around Adrian's cot in the med-bay, much to Izabell's displeasure. The wither skeleton looked pale and weak, his eyelids a sickly green. Lila had found him like this on the floor of his room, having gone to look for him when he didn't show at breakfast. I helped her haul the boy down. Lila would spit curses at me if I so much as bumped him against the stairs.

Now she shadowed Izabell, staring worriedly at the poor guy. The slime girl had many times told her to buzz off and let her work properly, but Lila would simply bark back with just as much ferocity. She only stopped nagging when Izabell had threatened to stop treating Adrian. We were all worried for him—well, most of us anyway.

Jack watched from the doorway with an angry-looking poker face. The stray hadn't said a word the whole day, not even to greet us. After some time, Thomas finally managed to convince most of us to leave the room. So now it was only Izabell, Lila, me, Jack, and Simon in the far corner, fetching more ointments or cloth pieces.

Izabell finally sat back on the edge of a bed beside Adrian's and sighed. "Okay. What happened to him?"

Lila didn't look up from the wither skeleton's face. "Is he going to be okay?"

"I can't tell you if I don't know what's wrong," the slime girl said.

Lila looked up sharply. "I thought you were a medic. How can you not know what's wrong with him?"

"I was a medic _in_ _training_. And I do know what's wrong-"

"Then why are you asking?" Lila snapped.

Izabell took a deep breath. Simon placed a hand on her shoulder, and she visibly relaxed. "What I meant to ask is how it happened. Adrian was poisoned," she explained. "I can't cure the poison, not with the simple remedies I have here. If we had milk, or a brewing stand and nether wart-"

"So we only need milk? Then let's go get some!"

The slime girl looked like she was about to strangle my sister, but Simon broke in. "It's not that simple, Lila. All of the animals have migrated to warmer locations, and that includes cows. We cannot harvest milk if we don't have cows."

Lila crossed her arms and glared at the creeper boy. "Then we'll find some cows and milk them."

"I already told you, there is no cows left nearby."

"Let's take one of the airships! We don't use them that often anyway, and we could cover more ground than on foot."

"What part of they've left can you not understand-" Iza began. Simon silenced her with a look.

"It'll be fine, Lila," I told her, trying to soothe her nerves. "He'll get better."

"The poison's not lethal," Izabell commented. "He'll be weak for a few days, and should wake up tomorrow."

Lila still looked worried. Scared. "How do you know?"

"It's a very common type of poison," the slime girl explained. "It's the kind some monsters produce. If I could brew potions, I'd be able to help him get better more efficiently, but I don't."

My sister jerked her head up. "I know! We can go to the nether to harvest stuff for a brewing stand!"

Everyone, except for Jack, stared at Lila like she had grown a third eye. "We can't do that!" I told her.

"Why not?" She glared at me in the way that indicated she wasn't letting the idea go. "Do you not want to save Adrian?"

"Of course I do!" I told her. "But you must remember how dangerous it is! And not just because of its regular dangers, but because Darkness, the _demon_, is currently living there! Remember those armored zombie pigmen that attacked us when we rescued Kaitlin? There's probably a hundred of those over there!"

Lila glared at me but didn't say anything. "Also," Izabell said, "we still haven't found out how exactly Adrian was poisoned."

"I know."

We all turned to face Jack in surprise. The stray still had that angry poker face on. His dark-grey eyes were trained on Lila. He uncrossed his arms, took two steps forward, and pointed at her with a finger. "She did it."

Lila looked shocked. "What? No I didn't! Why would I poison my best friend?"

Jack's frown turned into a scowl. "I thought you were more than friends, now."

My sister blinked at him and then returned his glare. "What would you know, _stray_?" She spit the word out.

"I saw you two last night," Jack answered, seemingly unfazed. "I heard you apologize for something, and knowing what you were up to, it's pretty clear to me what happened."

Lila's anger drained, as well as most of the blood, from her face. She looked uncertain now, as she cast a worried and guilty glance at Adrian's unconscious body. Izabell inspected the wither skeleton's face and then turned to search Lila's gaze.

I hugged Lila protectively, glaring at Jack. "What are you talking about? Lila would never hurt Adrian!"

Jack didn't take his eyes from my sister. "Not intentionally, I agree," he said. "But people tend to get carried away when distracted, don't they Lila?"

I moved her behind me, narrowing my eyes at Jack. "Leave her _alone_."

Izabell walked up to Adrian's bed and inspected the wither skeleton's head more closely. She turned to search Lila's eyes after a little while. "Lila?"

My sister looked up at her sadly. "What happened last night?" Iza asked.

I held onto Lila tighter. "You don't really believe Jack's accusations, do you?"

Izabell didn't look away, and neither did Lila. She looked just about as miserable as I'd ever seen her. The standoff lasted a few seconds longer before Lila heaved a sigh. "Jack's right, Val," she whispered. "I'd never hurt him on purpose."

Izabell's gaze softened. "Tell me what happened, Lila."

My sister slumped against me. "We were... kissing... last night. I had been... worried, I guess, for the past couple of days because of something that happened between us and... he walked into my room to talk about it. So... things escalated quickly and I... I got carried away and... bit him." She breathed out the last few words, barely audible.

I held her tighter. "It's okay, Lila, it's fine. You didn't mean it. It was an accident."

Tears started walking up in her eyes, and her bottom lip trembled softly. Izabell looked at Simon, who simply shrugged. I glared at Jack. The stray looked guilty for a split second before his poker face returned and he left the room. Simon walked up to us.

"We can travel to the nether if you'd like, Lila. Izabell knows how to make instant healing and regeneration potions. It won't cure Adrian, but it'll help him get better. I'll ask Thomas to organize a patrol of sorts since we clearly can't all go."

Lila's eyes brightened. "Really?"

Simon smiled at her. "Of course. He's our friend. And Z's been itching to gather brewing materials anyway. We need to build the portal up first, though."

My sister wriggled from my grasp and headed out. "I'll ask Eba to help me!" she called over her shoulder.

Izabell sighed and placed her head on Simon's shoulder. "Are you sure that's smart? Going to the nether?"

The creeper boy shrugged. "It's smart, but not exactly safe. I'd like to try my own hand at brewing. And Adrian does need better medicine since we have no chance to find any milk."

I turned away as Izabell muttered "Yeah, I know." I was having trouble knowing what to feel like. On one hand, I felt bad for Lila and Adrian. On the other I felt angry at her, and myself, for being so... reckless. And distracted. I should have payed more attention last night so Jack didn't find out what happened. And I also felt mad at him, for being so mean to Lila.

I bid farewell to Simon and Izabell before walking out of the med-bay. Lila was talking with Eba at the dinner table. Jack was nowhere in sight. I took a chance and walked outside, scanning the snowy plains. There was a single set of footsteps leading into the forest. I followed them all the way to a lovely little hollow, where a withered tulip stood in the center. There was little snow here, surprisingly. I found Jack sitting on a log nearby, turned away from me.

I walked up to him and sat on the other side of the log. Jack didn't take his eyes off the dead tulip. "Why are you here?" he muttered. "I thought you hated me now."

I inched closer. "I don't hate you, Jack."

"You didn't believe me." He looked up into the sky. "You stood up for Lila. And you looked so angry."

I shifted a little, not liking his tone of voice. It sounded... hollow. Dead inside. "She's my sister. I had to stand up for her."

Jack looked at his feet. "My brother never stood up for me. And he would beat me if I stood up for _him_."

I placed my hand gently on his shoulder, and he twitched ever so slightly. "I'm sorry to hear that."

The stray didn't look up. "Don't be. That's over now."

I wiggled a little closer. "You've never told me about him. Your brother."

He shrugged. "You never asked. I don't mind talking about him much."

"What was he like?"

Jack blinked and sat back. "He was the worst. Him and his little gang of idiots. They were always pestering everyone, especially me and the poor. But everyone liked him. 'Oh he's so charming', 'oh he's so great at this or that', 'oh he's the perfect heir to the throne'. And I was... ignored, mostly. By everyone."

I rubbed little circles on his shoulder with my thumb. "That must have been awful."

Jack nodded. "It was. But, now that I think about it... there was one person who cared. An archer, Meadow... she taught me how to use a bow. In fact, the one I carried? That Flicker chewed up? It was hers. She was like a mother to me."

The stray looked and sounded so vulnerable. "What happened to her?" I whispered.

"I don't know," he answered. "She moved away. To Malachite, I think. A slime city. She gave me her bow a couple days before with a note that she told me not to open until three days had passed."

"What did the note say?" I asked, burning with curiosity.

"'Hello Jack', it began. 'Please, forgive me for not telling you earlier. I moved away, to a different city, to live with my fiancé. I know how hard life is for you, and am terribly sorry for not having stayed. But I know you'll be a great person once you're older. You will make mistakes, but that is what makes us human. Learn from those mistakes. And let the ancient lords guide you wherever you go. With love and respect, Meadow."

Tears welled up in Jack's eyes. I smiled at him. "That was nice of her."

He wiped the tears off his face. "Yes. I had never earned the respect of a warrior. It felt nice to know she thought so highly of me."

"And... what happened to your brother?"

Jack slumped again. "He died. Committed suicide, actually."

I gasped. "Oh, lords, I'm so sorry."

The stray shrugged. "It's fine. I miss him, for some reason. Despite him being the absolute fucking devil."

I couldn't help but ask. "Why did he kill himself?"

Jack shook his head. "I don't know. I guess he thought himself invincible. The idiot drak poisoned wine on purpose."

"How do you know it was on purpose?"

"Because I tried to warn him. 'Don't drink that! It's poisoned!' 'I know, Jackass', he said. 'So what? Imma drink this and you can't stop me' 'uncle troyel will be angry if you do!' 'That's funny, Jackass. Uncle Troyel loves me. If anything, he'll get pissed at you for not stopping me' 'but I am trying to stop you!' 'Fuck you', he said, before downing the entire fucking bottle."

I moved my hand down to place it on his wrist. "That sounds horrible."

"It was." He looked tired. "His face turned green and his eyes looked like they were ready to pop out of their sockets. He started foaming at the mouth and scrabbling at his own throat. It lasted for a full ten seconds before he passed out and died."

I shuddered, not wanting to imagine that. "I'm sorry," I told him again.

"It's alright. It's actually the reason why I'm out here to begin with. My uncle, the skeleton king, wanted to hang me in public for a crime I didn't commit. So I ran away. Both Sarah and Adrian were sent to fetch me, but I guess Thomas changed their minds."

"Yeah."

We sat there in silence for a little while. Jack finally looked at me, albeit out of the corner of his eye. "Why are you doing that? Not that I'm complaining, but still."

I blinked at him. "Doing what?"

He nodded at my hand, which was still lying on top of his. I had been rubbing his with my thumb without noticing or meaning to. I stopped and pulled away, feeling heat crawl up on my cheeks. "Sorry," I muttered.

The stray searched my gaze and smiled faintly, placing his hand atop both of mine. "Like I said, I wasn't complaining. But I would like to know, Val."

I felt myself blush further. "Know what?"

"What you think of me. What you think in general. You are a very open person, but it's... I can't explain. It's like you're all over the place, unsure of what to do."

"What do you mean?"

Jack smiled again. "I know you wanted Lila and Adrian to be together. But you still convinced me to try talking to her about how I felt. And I don't understand what that was about."

I felt even more embarrassed, and I was probably glowing bright red at this point. "Uh... w-well... I had a plan... sort of." I whispered the last few words.

Jack shifted closer. "What plan?"

I squirmed under his gaze. "I... I-I like you, Jack. B-but you liked Lila, so I... had to do something. I thought that, If I got Lila and Adrian to... hook up, and then you tried talking to her, you'd be... you wouldn't like her anymore. And then you might start paying attention to me..."

The stray chuckled. "That's one hell of a master plan."

I inched away. "Don't laugh. This is embarrassing."

Jack shook his head. "I know, I know. Sorry."

I waited expectantly for him to say more, but we kept silent. Finally, I gathered the courage to ask. "S-So?"

He raised an eyebrow. "'So' what?"

"Um... Wh-What do you think? About... what I told you."

Jack nodded. "Ah. Right. I... I don't know."

"Y-you're... you're not mad?"

The stray heaved a sigh. "No, I'm not mad. I do feel hurt though."

I cringed back. "Really?"

"Yes." He looked away. "You made me follow Lila around when the whole thing was hopeless to begin with. When you could have simply told me how you felt. You didn't need to dissuade me from liking Lila. And I still like her, despite this. Because I can't change how I feel on a dial. Because love is complicated as hell."

"Oh." I shrank back, feeling like a horrible person. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," he soothed, pressing the back of his hand against my arm. "I know how powerless it feels to watch a crush run after someone else."

I sighed. "Is this going to be awkward now? Being friends? Since you know how I feel?"

The stray removed his hand and stared at the sky once again. "No. I feel honored, but I'm not ready. I've forgiven you, but I'm not ready to forget. You understand, don't you?"

I blinked at him, not knowing how to feel. "Y-Yeah. I understand."

"Thank you." Jack stood up and stretched. "Let's go back. The gang might leave without us."

I stared at him, confused. "Leave? Where to?"

"The nether," he replied. "I caught a few words of what Simon said after I left. I thought we were going."

I hopped up and followed him. "Right. I forgot. Come on, Lila and Eba have probably built up the portal by now."

We half-walked half-ran to the house. I felt relieved that Eba and Simon were still attempting to complete the nether portal frame. Lila was nowhere in sight.

Simon nodded at us, his poker face not betraying thought or emotion. "Hello. I'm glad you brought Jack back. Thomas wants him to help us gather nether things."

The stray sighed. "I'm sorry for the way I acted."

Simon shrugged and went back to building. "Don't apologize to me. Save that for Lila. She's inside, watching over Adrian."

Jack nodded and walked inside. He waved goodbye to me as he closed the door. I stared at the wooden slab for a moment longer before turning to look at Simon. "Who did Thomas choose to go?"

"Everyone except for Lila, Kaitlin, and Izabell. And Adrian, obviously. So it'll be six of us heading into the nether."

"Okay. Do you need some help?"

Eba pushed two parts together and Simon started hammering away. "No, we're good. You should start saying goodbye to everyone, though."

I nodded and walked inside, closing the door behind me. Kaitlin and Izabell were sitting at the table, talking with Snowdrift. The blaze princess was holding a squirmy Flicker close. "He'll only be gone for a while, don't worry," I heard her say. Izabell nodded. "Simon can take care of himself, Snowdrift. So don't be scared. He'll be back."

The little snow fox whined and pressed himself against the table. Izabell started petting his head and whispering comforting promises. I nodded at them and walked into the med-bay. Jack and Lila were sitting on opposite cots, with my sister being on one next to Adrian's and holding his hand. I didn't want to interrupt, so I waited at the doorway.

"...m sorry." I heard Jack say. "I shouldn't have been so rude and unsympathetic."

Lila stared at him for a moment before sighing. "I forgive you, Jack. And I haven't been exactly fair to you either. I've always thought you were self centered and reckless."

The stray smiled faintly. "Join the club."

My sister smiled back at him. "What, you get that a lot?"

Jack's smile widened and he sat back, crossing his arms. "More than you'd think."

They didn't speak again for a little while, so I knocked on the doorframe and walked in. "Hey, Jack."

He nodded at me. "Hello."

I sat down next to Lila. "Hey, sis. How are you holding up?"

She shrugged. "Usually with my legs or back, but eh."

I punched her in the shoulder lightly. "Seriously, though. How do you feel?"

Lila stared at Adrian's unconscious body. "A little better. Impatient. I just... want to know that he's okay. That I... that I didn't kill him." She whispered the last few words.

I rubbed her back gently. "You heard Izabell. The poison isn't lethal. He'll be out and about in less than a week, you'll see. Sooner after we get the stuff from the nether."

She smiled and turned to face me again. "Thanks. For everything."

"No worries," I told her. "Besides, you've always helped me when I'm stuck. Now it's finally time for me to repay your unconditional kindness."

My sister shook her head, still smiling. "Do you remember that time when we were kids that you didn't know how to set a trap properly and ended up tangled in your own web?"

I shoved her playfully. "How could I forget? You could've chopped my hands off with that chunk of stone."

"It was the only sharp thing around," she said humorously.

I shook my head and pushed her again. Thomas peeked his head in. "Guys? It's time to head out."

Jack and I got up to follow him. I waved Lila goodbye. "Good luck!" she called after me.

We walked outside to watch Simon hammer the last part of the portal together. The corners were wooden support bits or whatever, which is how we got the portal to stick together. The creeper boy rolled his shoulders and dropped the hammer on the snowy ground.

"Now all we need is a lighter."

"Can't you turn it on with your glove things?" I asked.

Simon smiled. "Yes, I can. But it might take a few tries in this cold."

We turned at the sound of nearby footsteps to find Ara, Simon's creeper friend, walking towards us. "Hellooo," she called.

We all smiled and greeted the friendly creeper. She stopped beside Simon. "What are you all doing out here?"

Thomas spoke first. "We're going to the nether. One of our friends needs medicine, and we can only find the materials needed over there."

Ara nodded. "Ssso that'sss Why thiss portal isss here? Do you need any help?"

"We just need to light it," Simon answered her.

Ara's dark eyes brightened. "I'll go get a torch!" The monster wandered into the house in search of her target.

We waited patiently outside. Well, most of us did. Sarah and Jack looked like they couldn't wait to head off. But then again, that's always the case with those two. We were all chatting with each other when suddenly a tree fell at the edge of the forest. I jumped in surprise at the resonant boom that came with it. On high alert now, we peeked around and through the portal frame to see what had happened.

Another tree started moving and then fell. It looked like someone had pushed it into the ground. We watched on as a third tree followed the others. And then, much to everyone's shock and surprise, a large black hand emerged from the dark forest. It clung onto the snow-coated ground. Another hand appeared, grasping a boulder that stuck out of the ground. And then two large, purple eyes came into view.

We were frozen with shock as a huge enderman dragged his way out of the forest, making a mess of the beautiful cover layer of snow. The monster was at least two stories tall, and despite its thin frame, it looked incredibly strong. It sat down on the snow after crawling out of the forest, making an inhuman panting sound.

The monster gazed around but apparently found nothing of interest and stared at the snow. It just sat there like a massive toddler, looking intently at the snow. We started slowly backing away when the mutant enderman shoveled up a big bunch of snow. It piled up the white lump on the ground and grabbed another one, dumping it on top of the first. Then it grabbed a third, making a lopsided Seven-foot snowman with four arms. The monster picked up a few pebbles and sticks, finishing its creation. A sound, resembling a purr, emanated from it.

Just then, Ara pushed her way out the door. "I'm back!" she called.

The enderman's head snapped towards us, its eyes locking on Thomas. A black swirl swam within them, and the monster growled. It crawled onto all fours, its snowman forgotten. The monster stood, its jaws massive and gaping, sharp teeth lining the top and bottom rows. It drew in a deep breath...

...and released a thunderous roar that made the earth shake.

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Theridas's POV

"Um... lady Anastasia? Have you seen Pepper?"

The ex-Queen turned from Ella's little tea party and frowned at me. "Forgive me, Theridas, but I have not."

The little ghost girl at the table looked up. "I do!"

I stared at her. "You do?"

"Yeah!" The little girl got up and sat down at the couch. "She was like this, and she said 'oh, man, I really need to practice. I've been missing too many days. With good reason, though'. And then she giggled, and smiled and left."

I had been pretty worried when Pepper had suddenly disappeared after I'd gone in the kitchen to make some soup for Ella. "Did she say were she was going?"

Ella placed a finger on her chin and looked at the top corner of the room, a gesture she picked up from Pepper that made me miss the creeper woman terribly. "To the park, I think."

I sighed and nodded. "Thanks, Ella." I turned to face lady Anastasia once again. "Could you keep an eye on the food, my lady? Just turn off the stove ten minutes after it starts boiling."

Lady Anastasia got up and nodded. "Of course, Theridas. Go fetch Pepper."

"Thank you, my queen."

I walked hurriedly out of the apartment and down the stairs. Miss Brekelbaum greeted me with a grunt after I waved. The cranky old skeleton had warmed up to Ella, but she still wasn't that friendly with me, Pepper, or lady Anastasia. I wandered the streets, heading in the general direction of the park. I passed the cousin's bar and decided to ask Ronaldo if he knew what Pepper had been talking about.

I walked in and looked around. Ronaldo was at the counter, writing down stuff on many pieces of paper with the help of a calculator. I dodged around the surprisingly crowded tables and stood in front of him.

The man, whom I've yet to find out his clan, looked up with a smile. "Ey, Therisito! How're you man?"

I smiled back. "Hello, Ronaldo. I'm great."

He started piling up the papers and shoving them away. "Just payin' Some bills, you know? What can I do for you today?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask you... Pepper sort of up and left some time ago. Ella said she'd heard her talking about practicing something at the park. Do you know what she meant?"

The man tapped his chin with the pen. "Yeah, but the little girl got the wrong park. She's done this before, to many people, but there's nothing to worry about. Pep likes to 'train' her fighting skills every week or so. Today's Friday, no?"

"Um... yeah."

"Right. Yes, she goes to the abandoned park for fighting practice, as she calls it. It's like four streets down to theee... east, I think. Lemme make sure. Erik!"

The other man, Ronaldo's cousin, peeked his head out of the kitchen. "Qué?"

"Donde queda el parque abandonado?"

"El de concreto?"

"Ese mero."

"Chale... al este, creo. Cuatro calles abajo."

"Órale. Gracias!" Ronaldo turned back to face me. "Yep, four blocks down, to the east. Then you turn left. Pep should be there. It's this big concrete square with a couple playground things and a fence all around it."

I felt relieved that I decided to stop by. "Thank you, Ronaldo."

"Anytime, buddy. You know where to find me."

I nodded and left, turning left to travel east. I walked past miss Brekelbaum's apartment complex and kept going for another two blocks. Then I turned left. There was an alleyway that led onto an open space. In the center was a large fenced-in area, with a basketball court and playground equipment. Just like Ronaldo said, Pepper was right there.

I passed through a hole in the fence and watched. There was a big leather bag hanging from one of the basketball hoops, and Pepper was beating the shit out of it. She struck hard and fast, and viciously, barely giving the poor sack a chance to return to its center. I waited for a little bit before clearing my throat. "Pepper?"

The creeper woman halted mid-swing, and the leather sack bumped into her. Pepper stepped back and looked at me. "Theridas?" A smile lit up her face and she walked over to me, pulling something metallic from her hands. "Hey, there!"

Pepper walked up to me and planted a big kiss on my forehead, making my heart flutter. "Mmmuah! What are you doing here, love? How did you know where to find me?" She clung to my arm and placed her head on my shoulder.

I gave her a goofy grin, feeling a little flustered. "Um... I was in the kitchen and then I noticed you were gone, so I asked lady Anastasia and Ella if they'd seen you, and Ella said you were going to train at the park, so I went there first and decided to ask Ronaldo if he knew what you meant and then he told me that I would find you here and I'm ranting, aren't I?"

Pepper giggled and kissed my cheek. "It's fine, love. Yeah, Ronaldo and I go way back."

"Did you date him too?" I asked jokingly.

"Of course not!" She feigned indignation and pushed me away playfully. "I don't date every guy I meet, you know."

I chuckled. Then I noticed that her hands were wrapped in bandages. "Are you hurt?"

Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Hurt?" She followed my gaze and looked at her hands. "Oh! No, no, I'm fine. I just wrap them up when I use... these."

She brought out the metal things and slipped them onto her hands. "They're knuckle dusters. I had them made for me a long time ago. I wear the bandages cuz these things dig into my hands if I don't."

Pepper swung out a couple times, demonstrating. I nodded. "Okay. But, please, could you tell me next time? I was worried sick."

Pepper took off the knuckle dusters. "Sorry, love. I will, promise." She gestured to the sandbag. "Wanna try?"

I frowned at it. "I don't know..."

The beautiful creeper woman smiled and stood behind the sandbag, holding it in place. "Come on, hun. Go for it."

I sighed and walked up to her. "How do I...?"

"Just punch it," she explained. "It's nothing too complicated."

I nodded and took a step back, getting ready to hit the leather sack. I reared with my fist and punched it kind of weakly.

"You can do better than that," Pepper said. "Hit it hard."

"Okay..." I threw another punch at it, earning praise from my girlfriend. She encouraged me to keep punching it until I was landing hard and fast blows.

"Come on, love! Pound it like it's my ass!"

I missed the blow and flinched, blushing hard. "Pepper, That does not help at all!"

She simply giggled and told me to keep punching. Soon enough, my arms and hands felt sore. We walked home side by side. Pepper took the bandages off her hands and wrapped mine. "It'll stop hurting soon, hun, don't worry," she said as she held my hand.

"I know, but it stings."

"You're a great fighter. Did you ever do any fighting as a servant?"

"No. There was never a need for me to fight."

"Well, those punches you threw at my sandbag were pretty awesome. You could probably take me on with a little practice."

"I'd rather not."

"Aw, come on! It'll be fun! Just let me teach you."

"Isn't it just punching and trying to not get punched back?"

"Well, that's one way to put it. But it's a little more complicated than that."

"Okay. I guess it couldn't hurt to know how to defend myself."

"Yes!" She kissed my cheek again and squeezed my hand. "You're the best! Trust me, when we're done, no one will ever beat you in a fight."

I smiled at her enthusiasm and kissed her forehead. "I'm sure. Come on, lady Anastasia and Ella must still be waiting. Let's head home."

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Author's Notes

About time, don't you think? Shit's gonna hit the fan soon, just a heads up. :P

Thank you so much for your time and support. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	57. Wounds And Blood

Author's Notes

ahem* Forgive me for taking so long to post this chapter. I have been quite busy with school and the like. Sadly, most future updates will take some time. However, summer break is nearing, so I will be able to focus (most) of my attention on finishing the story. And, I really must thank all of you for the amazing support!

Now, Reviews!

ThinMint, yeah, Well, not quite. Yes for the everything else, though. :P Also, you 'sound' tired. Everything okay?

GiggiEba, you imagine correctly. Yes, that was the plan. :) My stories _need_ the cutesy and funny scenes. It's what makes them my own.

Guest, why thank you! Your support means a lot!

Guest, I know... and, do you mean more for the story or in general? Cuz, lemme tell you, either way there'll be more writing coming from me. :)

Lysandra (Guest), thank you so very much! I am very glad you like my story. :D

(BTW, guests, your reviews didn't show up on the site. I only found out about them because of the e-mails I was sent. Anybody know why?)

And now, at long last, let's get on with the story! :D

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Adrian's POV

I opened my eyes slowly and found myself lying on rough yellowish stone. There were tall black pillars built in a ring around me, with pink square things floating atop them. I stood up and dusted myself off. I didn't feel any of the pain I'd felt after visiting Lila, after we confessed our feelings. After we kissed.

I had been here only once before, about a year ago, in my dreams. Maybe I was dreaming now. I waited patiently for a while before a thunderous flapping of wings filled the air. Only mildly surprised, I searched the pitch-black sky. A massive shape fluttered heavily down and landed on the tough ground, sending grit and dust everywhere. A pair of old, knowing purple eyes stared calmly at me.

_Hello, Adrian. Do you remember me?_

"Of course I remember you, Nightsky," I replied. "How could I not? I still hear your voice in my head sometimes."

The large dragon purred softly and sat down, curling her tail neatly over her claws. _Yes, well, you've needed some help every now and then, haven't_ _you?_

I smiled at her. "Yes, and I've been grateful for it." I looked around once more. "Why am I here? Do you have another task to give me?"

Nightsky placed her head on the ground, eyes half-lidded with sleep. _You already have a task._

I sat down beside her and placed my hand on her snout. "I know, and I'm sorry. But I haven't been able to find the Golden Spirit. I don't think I ever will."

Another purr rumbled in her throat, and the dragon blinked at me, humour glittering in her eyes. _I believe you have, Adrian. _That_ is why you're here. I_ must congratulate you on a job very well done.

I stared back at her, confused. "What do you mean? I still haven't found the guy."

Nightsky blinked and stretched her wings, ready to take off again. _But you have. You have found the sun's first born, his first creation. A natural_ _leader_, _humble, strong and smart. You have accomplished your task, and will be rewarded with many blessings in your lifetime. All you must do now_ _is_ _deliver the weapon._

I watched as she padded away to a flatter area, possibly to leap into the air and disappear into the void once again. "Wait!" I called after her. "I don't even know who I need to give the sword to!"

The dragon looked over her shoulder and managed the closest thing to a smile. _I believe you do. 'You don't have to ask', I do think he said. 'You are_ _our friend'. Has he not stood up for you? Was he not the only one who was trusting when you met? Did he not save you from the mutant skeleton? Yes, I do believe you know who he is._

With that, Nightsky jumped and flapped away, back to wherever it is she lived. I considered her words over and over, but could only come up with one conclusion.

Thomas is the Golden Spirit. The first-born of the sun. The one who shall disspell the darkness.

I closed my eyes, and willed myself to wake. I had something to give him.

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3rd person POV (this will be the norm for battle scenes from now on, okay?)

The ground shook from the defeating roar that escaped the mutant enderman. The house's windows trembled slightly, and snow fell in clumps from the roof. Thomas, Simon, Eba, Jack, Valory, and Sarah watched in horror as the monster huffed at them, cold air swirling from its nostrils. The two-story-tall creature rolled its shoulders and curled its large hands into fists.

Instantly, everyone had their weapons drawn. "We're one man down," Thomas muttered to his friends. "So we need to do everything to keep him, and the rest of us, safe."

Simon nodded and turned to look at a terrified Ara. "Go inside. Keep Izabell company. And get Kaitlin and Lila out here."

The friendly monster nodded and walked inside without hesitation. Sarah was already firing arrows at the monster, and Jack began unloading his crossbow on the creature. The enderman simply covered its face with one hand as the other sank into the ground. Simon pushed everyone away. "Scatter!"

Valory stumbled and held her ground. "What? Why?"

The mutant picked up a large mound of earth and threw it at the house. Jack took Valory's hand and dragged her away just in time. The dirt and grit exploded against the ground and bathed a large area in brown. The enderman roared again and picked up more soil and the large boulder it had used to pull itself free from the forest.

Thomas watched from the right as the enderman threw its large proyectiles at Simon, Jack, Valory and Kaitlin. Thankfully, they all dodged the monster's attacks. Thomas turned at the sound of the front door being pushed open. Lila looked shocked, but she hurried purposefully towards him. The cave spider was carrying Adrian's swords.

"Adrian woke up," Lila gasped when she got close enough. "For a little while... then he passed out again... he told me to give you this."

Thomas blinked at the cave spider and nodded, taking the double-stacked leather holster. Thomas drew a few inches of Adrian's obsidian sword and stared at the black blade. The bleak sun reflected off its smooth surface. For a second, Thomas could do nothing but stare. Had Sarah looked closer, she'd have realized that a familiar golden flash had passed by his eyes.

Thomas put away the weapon and threw on the sheath. "I'll thank him for this when he wakes up again."

Lila nodded and kicked at the snowy ground, making the wheels of her skates pop out. "We need to deal with the big guy before we get the chance to do any thanking," she muttered before rolling away, her satchel of shurikens at the ready.

Thomas exchanged a glance with Sarah and they both dashed forward. Simon had disappeared at some point, which was no surprise for everyone. Thomas dropped his own sword and drew Adrian's obsidian one. It felt powerful in his hands, almost humming with strength.

The mutant enderman turned slowly, taking in all of its enemies, and roared again. A second pair of arms extended from its mid-section, and the enderman picked up four large clumps of earth.

Our heroes dodged its attacks to the best of their abilities, inching ever closer to the monster. It threw a back-hand blow at Jack, sending him flying away. The stray hit the ground with a dull thump and an 'ow'. The enderman swiped at everyone with one pair of hands while the other kept throwing chunks of the cold hard ground.

A shadow fell over the battlefield, and the enderman looked up to see Simon piloting the MKII toward it. The creeper boy swung dangerously from the railing to head belowdecks from the outside. "Surprise, surprise," muttered Sarah, still firing arrows at the monster as fast as possible.

The mutant enderman roared at the airship, and Simon fired a cannon from inside. The monster crouched low and grabbed the cannonball as it hurtled towards it. However, having underestimated its momentum, the heavy proyectile pulled the enderman back, almost bringing it down. The monster growled and reared back with the cannonball gripped in its hand. It threw the metal ball back at the airship.

Kaitlin threw flames at the proyectile, melting the cannonball before it could hit Simon's Airship. The monster roared at the blaze princess, who flung fireballs back at it. Simon started circling the enderman from above, firing his Gatling bow at it. Valory was the first to reach the mutant monster's legs, and started swinging her double-headed spear at it. Falconheart, her pet phantom, flew skillfully around the enderman's head, distracting and annoying the monster.

The monster growled and teleported a short distance away. Doing so caused an unusual explosion that knocked everybody away. Lila rushed over to Valory as soon as she got up. Her sister looked around wide-eyed. "I can't see," she whispered. "I can't see."

Thomas got up and glared at the mutant monster. It roared once again, before something else happened. It turned bright pink, and then more pink endermen appeared beside it, all of them identical. Eba teleported next to Thomas and stood by his side, keeping an eye on the endermen.

"Blight says they're clones," the endergirl explained. "We just have to hit the original."

Thomas scanned the ranks of pink monsters. "Which ones the original?"

All of them roared at the same time. Eba's words were drowned out, but she pointed a steady finger at the seventh enderman on the right. Thomas nodded and dashed forward. As he neared, all the clones swiped at him. Their hands passed through him, but not without causing him pain. The enderman Eba pointed out tried to pick him up, but Thomas rolled away and swung out with Adrian's sword at the monster's outstretched arm.

Unlike all their previous attacks, where the proyectiles bounced harmlessly off or the blades simply didn't make a cut, the obsidian sword dug into the enderman's forearm, leaving a deep gash that bled purple. The enderman clones disintegrated, and the original drew away, its skin darkening again, roaring all of its pain into the sky.

Thomas didn't hesitate and dashed forward, cutting the monster's legs. The mutant enderman took a step back and knocked him away, sending the enchanted sword out of Thomas' hand. Simon got the airship steady again after the sonic wave from the enderman's teleport and readied another cannon. The monster swatted away Lila and Eba, who had gotten close. It looked up and narrowed its magenta eyes at the airship, growling defiantly.

Simom fired the cannon, and the heavy metal ball sailed through the air. The enderman caught the cannonball with two hands, grunting from the effort. It held the proyectile with one hand, spun around twice, and tossed it back like a baseball. Kaitlin barely had time to melt and slow it down, but the metal ball still bounced off the airship's hull, leaving a slight dent. Simon cursed and started preparing the cannons again.

Jack helped Valory stumble towards a downed tree. The stray sat her down. "Are you Alright?"

The spider blinked at him. "Y-yes, I think so. I had gone blind for a moment..."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but I'm fine now. Mostly. I still feel a little weak."

Jack turned his gaze, watching everybody else figh bravely against the huge monster. "Okay. I'm going to leave you here, and I'll be back when that thing's dead."

Valory nodded, and the stray dashed back into the fight.

Kaitlin spewed an inferno from her mouth, forcing the enderman back. The monster roared in frustration and pain, teleporting out of range. Izabell watched the battle from the med-bay through a window, clutching the pendant Simon had made for her tightly. Thomas drew the iron replica of Adrian's sword and ran towards the large monster. He picked up the obsidian blade on his way, and swung at the monster with both swords.

The mutant enderman let out an earsplitting roar, stunning everybody and giving it a chance to step back. Simon fired the cannons, and the monster tried to pluck the proyectiles out of the sky. However, it once again underestimated the power of the airship's artillery, and the force from both cannonballs threatened to pull its arms out of their sockets and brought the monster down hard.

Our gang of heroes wanted no time. Thomas picked himself and Adrian's sword up, dashing forwards. The enderman tossed the cannonballs away and flipped onto its stomach, and as it tried to stand up, Thomas plunged the sword through the enderman's ankle. The mutant monster shrieked as white-hot pain washed over it. The enderman clutched at the ground with one hand as another whacked Thomas back before warping away.

Thomas lay in a daze, watching the mutant enderman through half-lidded, unfocused eyes. The monster was at the house, supporting himself with his hands on the roof. The monster let out a roar whenever its wounded ankle touched the ground. Thomas tried to stand up, to run back in and stop the enderman. He got his feet under him, albeit very unsteadily, and started trudging towards the monster.

The mutant enderman let out a please growl after noticing that nobody was currently attacking it. The monster started raising its upper pair of hands, planning on bringing them down to destroy the structure it was supporting itself with. Just as the monster was about to strike, something flashed past its face. The enderman faltered, searching for the interruption. A cry, resembling that of an eagle, rang put behind the enderman. The mutant monster turned around as Falconheart, Valory's pet phantom, swooped in front of it.

The monster stumbled, caught by surprise, and roared when its injured foot bumped into the storage shed. Simon piloted the airship close and started showering the enderman with arrows fired from one of the Gatling bows. The enderman shielded its face with one hand as another reached down to grab a mound of earth. Falconheart swooped by again, making the large monster flinch back.

Thomas picked up Adrian's obsidian broadsword once again and used it to support him as he walked unevenly towards the mutant enderman. The monster swiped at Falconheart, trying to knock the phantom out of the sky. Thomas took a deep breath and started running sluggishly forwards. The enderman roared at the airship and hopped forward, its fingers scraping the painted hull. Simon moved the airship out of the monster's range and ran belowdecks to prepare the cannons.

Thomas fell on the ground and tried to stand up again. Sarah ran forwards and knelt beside him. "Stay down, Tom. There's nothing we can do except get our friends out of the house and flee."

Thomas smiled weakly at the skeleton girl. "That's the first time I've heard you talk about retreating."

Sarah sighed defeatedly as Falconheart and Simon kept pestering the mutant enderman. "I never thought I would. But we really need to go. Everyone else is tired and hurt. Simon and Falconheart won't be able to keep the monster distracted for much longer. We need to get Izabell and Adrian out of the house."

Thomas huffed and got up with the help of Sarah. "No. We're not leaving. I just... I need to get closer."

The skeleton girl hugged him tightly. "Please, Tom! We need to go!"

Thomas tilted Sarah's head up gently and kissed her deeply. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. Stay safe, my beautiful tulip."

Sarah grabed his hand as Thomas started off towards the mutant enderman. "Tulip?"

Thomas smiled. "I saw what you did on your mother's birthday. Get everyone to safety!"

He reluctantly let go of Sarah's hand and started running towards the monster as the skeleton girl headed off to round up their friends. The mutant enderman roared and took a few steps back from the house, swiping at Falconheart and dodging the cannonballs Simon fired at it from the airship.

The enderman fell on its knees and picked up mounds of earth with one pair of hands, chucking them at its opponents. Thomas signaled for Simon to wait, and whistled for Falconheart to fly towards him. The phantom dove and spun to avoid the monster's grasp, falling in beside Thomas with a cry.

"Wait for my signal, Falconheart," he told the phantom. "I need you to surprise him."

Falconheart released a shrill cry and lifted up into the sky. The mutant enderman caught sight of Thomas, and it roared fiercely, its sharp-toothed maw wide open. Thomas gripped the obsidian sword's hilt tightly with both hands, shouting all of his fury and anger right back at the monster. The enderman picked up a nearby boulder and threw it at Thomas, who dodged around it, feeling upturned earth batter his sides.

The enderman reached for Thomas. He rolled just out of immediate reach. "Now, Simon!"

The creeper boy lit both cannons on the _MKII_, and the heavy artillery pieces exhaled a plume of smoke and flame with a thunderous explosion. The cannonballs actually got to the monster this time, hitting it on the shoulder and lower back. The enderman let go a cry of pain as it was almost barreled over from the force of the impact.

Thomas didn't stop running forward, and he made a 'forwards' motion with one hand. The enderman tried to punch him away, but Falconheart swooped down, making the monster stumble. Thomas used the phantom's diversion to get close. He jumped, spun mid-air, and swung the obsidian sword at the mutant's unhurt leg, feeling it get lodged in the bone.

The monster fell and rolled onto its side, roaring in agony. Thomas barely had time to move out of the way to avoid getting flattened. The enderman growled and used it's four remaining limbs to move, turning around to face Thomas. It swiped at him with two hands, and Thomas dodged the blows to the best of his abilities. Simon fired two more cannonballs, which the monster blocked painfully with one arm.

Thomas ran forwards and sliced open the monster's forearm with the obsidian sword. The enderman shrieked as white-hot pain shot through its entire body. It crawled away, dragging its injured limbs behind it, never taking its now furious magenta eyes off Thomas. Falconheart kept diving in front of the monster, causing it to swipe wildly at the air while roaring in frustration.

Thomas ran in again, swinging the enchanted obsidian sword at the monster. The blade tore through black flesh, coated in purple blood. The enderman scrambled back, showering Thomas with grit and earth. Suddenly, Eba warped next to Thomas wearing her Dreadnaught Armor. The longsword that came with it was grasped tightly in her hands, poised and ready.

Together they pushed the mutant enderman back, towards the forest. The look of fury in its eyes turned into wild panic, and the monster began swinging out rapidly, trying to blind its foes with the loose earth it brought out. Then it teleported away, the shockwave knocking both Thomas and Eba into the ground. Thomas looked up to see the enderman breathing heavily, its mouth half-open, and staring daggers into Sarah and the rest of their friends, all huddled together near the edge of the forest.

The skeleton girl, along with Valory and Jack, tried to ward it off with insults, arrows, knives and crossbow bolts. But the enderman seemed to ignore their attacks. It simply huffed at them, narrowing its magenta eyes. Then it let out a tremendous roar and started crawling towards them on its three good arms. Thomas felt his heart stop, looking on as the enderman neared his friends with the intention to kill.

A heavily armored hand gripped Thomas's shoulder. He turned to look at Eba, who'd taken off her helmet. "We only get one shot, Thomas. I'll warp us above the enderman, okay? Get ready!"

Thomas took a few deep breaths and gripped the obsidian sword tight enough to turn his knuckles white. He nodded at Eba, determination burning within him. "I'm ready."

The endergirl nodded back, and her armor dissolved so she could teleport Thomas too. Eba embraced him, and they both warped. Thomas could see nothing but an endless void for a split-second, and then they appeared in the air, directly above the mutant enderman.

The large monster towered over Sarah and her friends, ignoring their futile attempts to scare it away, smiling in grim triumph. Then, out of the blue, that pestering phantom swooped down again, causing the enderman to grunt in surprise. The monster followed the creature with its gaze and its jaw dropped in shock.

Thomas and Eba fell on top of it, weapons drawn. Eba missed the monster's head but dug her Needlepoint into the enderman's shoulder, stopping herself from hitting the ground. Thomas grazed the mutant's cheek with the obsidian sword, having missed due to the monster flinching back in surprise. He hit the ground and rolled forward, saving himself from most of the pain caused by the fall.

The mutant enderman roared and shuffled back, shaking Eba off its shoulder. It glared maliciously at the bunch of teenagers on the snowy ground, its wounds still bleeding heavily. Thomas got up and drew the obsidian blade once more, staring defiantly at the monster.

"I'll give you a choice!" He shouted at it. "You either leave now... and live... or you leave after... _dead_."

The mutant roared at Thomas and charged forward with its two remaining arms. Thomas didn't move an inch, the sword gripped tightly with both hands. The enderman tore up the mistreated ground as it scrambled forwards. Thomas took a deep breath.

"Dead it is."

He dashed forwards, prepared to meet the monster head-on. His friends called for him, but Thomas wouldn't listen to their desperate cries. His only focus was the enemy directly in front of him. The monster reared, ready to snap at Thomas with its teeth or knock him away with its limbs, but the boy was faster.

As Thomas swung the enchanted obsidian sword, another flash passed through his eyes. It traveled through his body and into the weapon, turning it silver for a second, before it was plunged deep into the enderman's chest right below its collarbone.

The monster froze, its teeth mere inches from Thomas's head. Its whole body trembled, and the monster gagged, backing up from Thomas with the sword still buried in its chest. Thomas watched breathlessly as the monster moaned in agony, as it desperately tried to drown out the pain by rolling on the ground or hitting it. He watched as the monster's body rapidly began to dissolve, revealing its insides through gaps in its jet-black skin until they too began to wear away.

The dying mutant collapsed with a heartstopping, drawn-out moan. It dragged itself weakly towards the forest, but its trembling and slowly decaying limbs no longer followed its commands. It released one last agonized shriek as its body exploded, sending purple shards everywhere.

Thomas flinched back as one landed at his feet. He took many deep breaths and started walking away when the shard blew up, flinging him through the air. One by one the rest of the shards exploded, causing more damage to the plains and forest. Thankfully, they had been far enough away that none of the shards damaged the house.

Sarah and the rest of the gang suffered no further damage from the explosions, but the skeleton girl wasn't worried about that. She was worried for Thomas.

She ran forward, dropping to her knees besides the wounded boy. His arms and back were burnt, and he wasn't breathing. Panic tried to engulf Sarah, but she held on to her sanity and screamed for someone to 'get Izabell's sorry ass over here!'.

The slime girl arrived as fast as she could and started pumping Thomas's chest, trying to restart the boy's heart. Eba kneeled down beside her and placed a hand on the boy's forehead, mentally asking Blight to help him.

_I don't know if I can_, the demon answered.

_At least try! Please! He's dying!_

_Technically he's already de-_

_Blight_!

The demon transferred Eba's remaining strength into Thomas, hoping that would help him. Izabell kept pumping his chest and checking his pulse, not daring to give up on him for fear of Sarah's wrath.

Simon brought down the airship and slid down the rope ladder before running towards Thomas. The creeper boy dropped beside Izabell and started quickly healing his burns. Sarah watched helplessly as the three of them tried to bring Thomas back to life. The skeleton girl clung to his limp hand, hoping that he'd recover.

_You can't go. We did it. We stopped the monster. What's the point of fighting for a home when you won't be around to live in it with me?_

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Thomas's POV

I opened my eyes, staring once again at the roof of that weird bleached room I had been in five weeks ago. I sat up, shutting my eyes, and took many deep breaths before I dared open them again. But when I did, those stupid white walls were still there. I sighed and got up. My back hurt a little, and my chest, but I felt otherwise fine. So, I wandered the blank expanse before me, wanting to know if that trippy screen was nearby.

As I neared the closest wall, some of the blocky pillars in the room shifted around to clear some space. The river of images returned like last time, but many of them were unpleasant.

They were images of the battle, and of previous battles, of injuries and pain and worry. I sighed and looked away, not wanting to relive those moments. I decided against pondering why I was in here to begin with, because it would do me no good to freak myself out by arguing over wether or not I was dead.

I continued wandering, and the next wall I stopped at showed me better images. These were of the times my friends and I spent building. One was from that time when I helped Eba build her fence back up after some very stubborn pigs had broken into out farm plot. Another was from when I helped Jack finish the roof, cracking jokes and sharing stories. Then there was an image of when I'd helped Sarah furnish her room. She'd been very picky with colors and furniture designs, so much so that Simon had taken a time out that lasted three and a half hours.

I walked on, a smiled blooming on my face and tears forming in my eyes. We had spent so long together, built so many things together, lived through so much together. Did it really have to end? Has it already?

An image caught my eye. I chuckled in awe at it as I neared. I touched the wall, and the image started to move like it had last time. I was seeing through my own eyes, and hearing what I'd heard that day.

"... happy birthday to youuuuu!"

We had all clapped as Eba blushed bright red, trying to hide herself in her hoodie. We celebrated everyone's birthdays when they rolled around, and we celebrated hers a couple weeks ago. The endergirl had muttered her thanks as Simon brought out her cake, white and round, decorated with purple and magenta candles and merengue.

I watched on, happiness overwhelming me. We had given her many hugs, and made Eba's presents ourselves. Simon had made her a bracelet made of obsidian pebbles tied together with purple string. Sarah gave her a new pair of black leather boots. The spider sisters gave her new hoodies and shirts. Adrian gifted her an origami flower, which she'd marveled over. Izabell gave her a black balaclava with purple trim, which had fit the endergirl perfectly. Kaitlin put on a show using her flames. Jack gave her a set of colored pencils, and Eba had squealed in delight.

My turn came around soon enough. I had walked up to her and smiled. "I hope you like it, Eba. It took me a long time to get it right."

Simon, who had helped me make Eba's gift, chuckled. "That's an understatement."

I elbowed the creeper boy and brought out the present from behind my back. Valory had helped me wrap it using red paper with a pink-polka-dot pattern. Eba stared at the package curiously and began to carefully tear the wrapping apart.

A beautiful smile had bloomed on her face as she lifted her gift from the torn paper. It was a brand-new notebook, the cover made of soft purple leather with a golden trim around the edges. In the bottom right corner was written, with more gold string, For Eba.

She had looked up at me, on the verge of tears, and enveloped me in a tight hug. "I love it!"

Everyone had cheered, and our little party continued.

I turned away after a while, feeling oddly depressed. I considered looking through more of my memories, but decided against it. "Why should I keep reliving the same moments when I can live new ones?" I shouted at no one in particular. "Why am I here when I could be helping my friends? This is bullshit!"

I kicked at the nearest blocky pillar, but it moved out of the way to reveal more images. I groaned in frustration and turned away. The sadness gave way to anger, and I kept trying to attack the blocks in vain.

I tired out after a while and sat down on the smooth floor. I had made up my mind. "I'm not staying here," I called out determinedly. "My friends need me. I will not spend a moment longer in this stupid room."

I got up and closed my eyes, my hands curled into tight fists. "I will not stay here a moment longer," I repeated. "My friends need me."

And then many feelings hit me all at once.

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Sarah's POV

I held onto Thomas's hand and watched as Izabell pumped his chest for the umpteenth time. Eba had crawled away, asking for forgiveness after not having been able to help him. I had ignored the endergirl and continued looking on as Simon healed Tom's burns.

Finally, Izabell heaved a sigh and sat back. The slime girl shared a look with Simon and turned to look at me with tired, sympathetic eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "He's gone."

I blinked at her and looked at Thomas. He looked so peaceful, lying on the ground. If he hadn't been so badly wounded, I'd have thought he was simply taking a nap. I gripped his limp hand tighter and kissed his palm. It was dirty, but I didn't mind.

I scraped earth and grit from his face and kissed his cheek, then his forehead. I kissed two of my fingertips and pressed them to his lips. Then I placed by head on his chest and cried. I broke down in front of everyone, not caring one bit if they judged me.

Then his chest heaved.

I quickly backed off Thomas and watched as his eyes fluttered open. His mouth opened in a loud gasp, and he sat up, coughing loudly. Izabell, looking utterly shocked, started clapping Tom's back gently to help him.

Thomas's fingers curled around mine, and he turned to face me as soon as the coughing subsided. I stared into his hazel eyes, not believing my own.

"T-Thomas." I blinked over and over again, but he was still there. Still staring right ba at me. "Y-you-"

He didn't let me finish. One second we were looking into each other's eyes, and the next our lips connected. It took me a second to react, but I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. I could hear everybody cheering in the background, but I paid no mind to their hollering. I was too busy losing myself in Thomas's smell, his hands, his hair. His lips.

He broke apart first, wincing it pain. "Ow. Hand..."

I had unintentionally dug my nails into Tom's back, hurting him in the process. I gently rubbed the spot and hugged him tightly. "Sorry."

He embraced me back and kissed my forehead. "It's okay. I'm fine, we're fine, everybody's fine." Then he looked up. "Everybody _is_ Fine, right?"

Simon, who had wandered towards the spot where the mutant enderman had died, walked back over to us, tucking an enderpearl into his hoodie. "Yes, except for Adrian, of course. We still need to gather the brewing materials."

Thomas shook his head and kissed my cheek. "We're in no condition to do so right now. Tomorrow, after everyone has rested."

I held him tighter. "You need more than rest, Tom."

My boyfriend chuckled and kissed me deeply again. He broke off after two seconds and smiled.

"I know. But a nap would definitely help right now."

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Author's Notes

Oh my loooooooord this chapter took me ages to finish. But I am so. Damn. Glad. I finally did! And I am very much pleased with how it turned out, not to brag. :D

Also, for those of you who don't remember or don't really care, Sarah planted a few pink tulips in the center of a clearing to celebrate her deceased mother's birthday. Throughout the story, the existence of the last remaining tulip was mentioned multiple times, simply as a reminder of what she did. And now, that tulip became somewhat relevant to the story. :P

happy sigh* Well, that's this chapter finished. I'll get to work on the next one as soon as I can, promise.

Thank you all so much for your time, patience, and support! Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb

...man, this was exhausting. Heh. :P


	58. Lava Lakes And Fireballs

Author's Notes

ahem* sorry for the long wait...

I felt saddened by something that occurred, and since I didn't feel like doing anything else, I started writing this chapter. Also, everything will be hitting the fan really really fast from now on. Hope you enjoy!

Now, Reviews!

ThinMint, I'm glad you're better now. If anything, I should be sorry for not getting the reference. :P Yeah, they got pretty beat up. I'm glad you liked the chapter so much!

Gracile, wh-th-p... really? :o I'm... beyond honored! Thank you for taking the time to read my story! I think you're the first (and so far only one) to read the whole thing in one day! :D Thank you so much for your support!

And now, on with the story!

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Darkness's POV

I continued marching at the head of my armada, leading them closer and closer to Veridon City, home of the skeleton king. Traveling was slow due to the rocky mountainside and snow-covered moors, but we still trudged doggedly on.

Suddenly, a phantom cried in the distance. I looked up to see one of my messenger phantoms swoop down, aiming to land on a nearby tree branch. Tied to its little leg was a rolled-up letter. I opened it up, reading the small words carefully.

Translated, it read; _Mutant enderman dead. All targets alive, planning on going to nether. Can we leave now?_

I chuckled to myself and threw the small slip of paper away. I ordered my troops to halt for a moment while the endermen built up yet another nether portal. Once the monster's had finished, I turned to face Trudy. "Something happened. I need to speak with my shadow. You will be in charge until I get back."

The blaze nodded and bowed. "Of course my liegé. May I ask what you'll be discussing with your shadow?"

I turned away, walking towards the portal. "No, you may not."

Once through, I wandered the flaming caverns until I came across the nether fortress. More wandering later, I entered the roof-less throne room. My shadow was standing beside the throne, knowing what I'd do if it dared sit in it. I flopped down on the large, and surprisingly comfortable, netherbrick chair and turned my gaze towards my shadow.

"How are things on this side?"

My shadow bowed. "They've been rather uneventful, lord Darkness. The occational mob uprising or rebellion, which are quickly and easily eradicated."

I nodded. "And my troops?"

"The blazes became restless, so I've been letting them terrorize the populace every now and then. The ghasts, however, have been very tame."

I nodded again and summoned dagger, twirling it over and over in my hand. The magma-stone engraved in its hilt glittered dimly.

My shadow shifted and cleared its throat."I am certain that the kindom's affairs are not what you wanted to speak of, my lord. Has something happened?"

I smiled at it. "You are correct. Something has happened. First off, the mutant enderman failed to kill my brother and his friends. Second, the few troops still stationed in that valley of his reported that he was planning a little trip. Can you guess where?"

My shadow smiled back, excitement brightening its black eyes. "The nether."

"Indeed. You should be expecting at least five targets, my brother among them."

"I will make sure they never see the light of day again," it vowed, summoning a scimitar.

I got up and stretched. Then, already heading away, I told it; "You won't be able to keep that promise."

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Simon's POV

I pulled on my leather flint-n-steel gloves and snapped my fingers, watching the tiny spark fly from them. We were just about to head off into the nether. The traveling party remained the same, even though Sarah had practically begged Thomas not to go. He somehow managed to convince the skeleton girl that nothing bad would happen.

"You should wear cool clothing," Kaitlin advised us, feeding Flicker spoonfuls of gunpowder. "It gets as hot as an oven on the other side." The blaze princess frowned at me. "It's probably not a good idea for you to take that hoodie, Simon."

I opened my mouth to argue, but Izabell beat me to it. "Don't even try, Kait. Simon's as stubborn as they get, and you'll never convince him to take that hoodie off."

I scoffed, faking indignation. "It's my favorite hoodie," I told them. Izabell kissed my cheek and continued re-bandaging Lila's hand where she'd gotten cut during the fight with the mutant enderman.

"I know, but you can't deny that it's getting pretty old and worn."

"I'll stop using it when it's damaged beyond repair, but until then, I will wear it proudly."

Izabell shook her head and smiled at Kaitlin. "See what I mean?"

Thomas threw open the underground workshop's hatch before I could defend myself, awkwardly carrying a box filled with armor pieces. I walked over and helped him up, putting the box aside. He thanked me and turned to look at Kaitlin.

"You know, we could use a guide."

The blaze princess smiled apologetically. "I know and I'm sorry, but I want to stay here. I need to stay here. I couldn't bear to go back after... after what happened."

Thomas smiled in understanding and started going through the box of armor bits. "That's okay, I get it. Simon, is everyone else ready?"

I looked around the living room, counting heads. "No. We're missing Jack."

Thomas nodded and went through the box once again. I waited my turn, carefully counting the explosives tucked into the holsters of my demo-belt. I packed four regular sticks of dynamite and two 'spike-enades' in the six slots, as well as four more in the inside pockets of my hoodie. Jack suddenly hopped down the stairs.

"Sorry, I was busy watering the flowers."

Kaitlin raised an eyebrow. "Flowers? In this weather?"

I knew what he was talking about. Those flowers were supposed to be a gift to Lila before the whole 'Adrian's been poisoned' fiasco. "You kept them?"

The stray shrugged and threw on his cloak. "I thought it a waste to let them wither away after it took me so long to gather them."

I nodded and made sure my twin shortswords were tied securely in their sheaths to my belt. Then I picked up some armor parts from the box. The big heavy pieces, like full chest plates, were still in the workshop, and the box only had light parts (shin, elbow, and knee guards, shoulder pads, armor vests, etc). We didn't want to take full sets of iron armor because we'd get baked in it seconds after arriving at the nether.

Once everyone put on their own armor, Thomas led us outside. We all crowded around the nether portal, exchanging goodbyes with our friends that would remain here. Izabell hugged me tightly while I nuzzled her neck. "I'll be fine," I reassured the slime girl. Her hands were trembling ever so slightly. "It'll only take a couple hours. Then we'll come right back, okay?"

Izabell sighed and kissed me deeply. "Please stay safe," she whispered after pulling away. "And don't do anything stupid. _Please_."

I tucked some stray hairs behind her ears and kissed her cheek tenderly. "I can't promise that, Z. But I will come back. Take care."

The slime girl sighed and stepped back, crossing her arms with a worried frown. "You too, Simon."

I nodded, then took the torch from Ara, thanking the monster, and lit the nether portal. I waited patiently for everyone else to finish, and when they did, Thomas stood beside me and smiled at everyone.

"I think it's time we head out. Does anybody have any questions, or anything?"

Kaitlin raised her hand. "Um... how will we know when you come back?"

Lila snickered. "Don't worry. Izabell will be glued to the window the whole time they're away. We'll know immediately when they come back.

The slime girl elbowed her, causing the cave spider to snicker once again.

Thomas smiled. "Okay, well, there's that problem solved. We'll be back in... an hour? Three? Something like that. So... I guess, on we go. Who wants to step through first?"

I nudged my friend towards the portal. "You're the leader of the traveling party. As such, you should go first. I'll go last to make sure nobody gets cold feet."

Jack snorted. "Which wouldn't be hard, considering we're in the middle of winter."

Thomas sighed. "Right." Then he walked through the thin violet sheen of the portal.

I waited for everyone to pass through the portal, meeting Izabell's worried gaze every so often and returning it with a reassuring smile. Jack went through last, so I tipped an invisible hat at Kaitlin, Lila, and Izabell. "Wish us luck guys."

"Good luck."

"You won't need it!"

"Take care."

I smiled at them and walked through the portal. It felt oddly cold and tingly, but then it was over. Everyone was staring at the large cavern where we came out of, marveled by the rock formations. I pulled my hood down and walked up to Thomas.

"Where to?"

"Is everyone here now?"

"Yes. Jack was the last one to go through."

Thomas nodded and stared walking towards the only opening in the large cavern. I gestured for everyone to follow and wandered after him. We found nothing interesting for a half-hour, wandering that seemingly endless tunnel, until we finally walked out into the great beyond. There were bright lava waterfalls and lakes, as well as many rock formations. There were a few monsters, mostly ghasts flying around lazily or magma cubes hopping into or out of the lava.

Valory 'hmm'd. "Honestly, it's not as bad as I thought it'd be."

Jack huffed, wiping his brow. "Speak for yourself. This place is a fucking oven."

Thomas shook his head and started wandering again. "Chill out, Jack. We'll only be here for a couple hours."

The boy blinked. "Did you just tell a _stray_, aka 'snow skeleton', to _chill out_ in the fucking _nether_?"

Valory nudged him. "Come on. The sooner we gather these materials the sooner we get to leave."

Jack huffed again and trudged along behind us. We didn't encounter any people or monsters, which was rather surprising. But it also meant that gathering quartz and glow stone was easy. About an hour and a half in, I caught sight of something interesting. I wandered closer to the edge while everyone hacked away at another quartz vein. I could just barely see the edge of a square building in the distance, as well as a long bridge that extended out to it. I hummed thoughtfully, walking back over to where my friends were.

Thomas looked up and wiped his brow. "What is it?"

"All we need now is nether wart and a blaze rod, no?"

Thomas frowned. "Yeah. And we haven't seen a trace of either."

I pointed at the dark fortress in the distance. "I have."

Thomas's eyes brightened and he smiled. "Great! We'll just scurry on over there and then get the hell out of here."

Blight looked up from the nether quartz. "It's not that simple. Darkness and his troops will be there. And we can't fight our way through with such feeble equipment. No offense," he added, nodding in my direction.

I shrugged. "Only some taken."

Thomas ignored me and looked back over at the nether fortress. "We could certainly try. But I'd rather not risk anyone's life. Maybe we could sneak in."

Eba looked up sharply. "I got it!"

We all turned to stare at the excited endergirl, who cleared her throat and regained her composure. "Well, I was thinking that maybe we could warp in. I could take another person with me to help kill a blaze and bring the other stuff back."

Thomas thought this over. "That sounds like a solid plan."

Jack, who had been breathing heavily for quite some time now, heaved a sigh. "Why don't we all go? To carry more stuff."

"It is exhausting for Eba to warp many people at a time," Blight explained. "Plus she'll need to warp them back as well this time. Not to mention walk all the way back to the portal."

I considered many scenarios and made up my mind. "I think Eba should take Sarah. It'll be hard to take down a blaze at close range, and Jack certainly wouldn't be of much help as he is now."

The stray sighed again, wiping his brow. "I can't even argue with that."

Thomas turned to look at the skeleton girl, who had her arms crossed. "Do you want to go with her?"

Sarah nodded. "I want to help," she replied simply.

Thomas nodded and turned to look at Eba. "You, Sarah and Blight will warp into the nether fortress to gather nether wart and a blaze rod. But then you come right back, okay?"

Eba nodded. "Okay. Should we go now?"

I interrupted Thomas before he could speak. "No. We should get closer, at least to our end of the bridge, so it doesn't take as much energy from you."

The endergirl nodded. "Okay, then."

Thomas threw the burlap sack filled with glowstone over his shoulder. "Great. Let's do this. Come on, guys."

Jack moaned from the back of the group. "Why don't I just stay here and wait for you guys? I don't think I could take another step."

"It's too dangerous for you to stay here alone," Val told him. "Just suck it up and keep walking."

Jack moaned again and got up off the floor, shambling after us. We slowly neared the nether fortress as time ticked by. Jack tripped and fell a couple times, dusting himself off and claiming to be fine. Until, at last, we reached the bridge that linked the mainland to the nether fortress, which sat on a large island in the middle of a lava lake.

We stared at the fortress in all its intimidating glory until Thomas cleared his throat. "Right. So, you guys ready?"

Sarah, Eba, and Blight nodded. I watched Jack flop down on the ground as I spoke. "We'll be waiting for you right here until you get back. Be careful, cuz we won't be able to help you now."

"Yeah," Thomas agreed. "Don't take any risks."

Sarah crossed her arms. "We'll be fine, Tom."

Eba walked over to the skeleton girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ready?"

"Ready."

Then they warped away, a few purple particles the only indication that they had been there to begin with.

Thomas stared at the nether fortress. "Good luck."

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Sarah's POV

The warping left me a little disoriented, but I gathered my bearings and looked around. We were in one of the fortress's hallways, thankfully empty. Blight appeared beside Eba, who looked a little tired.

"We need to find those materials fast. I don't like this place."

I nodded and walked down the hall, towards a doorway. I could hear Eba trail along behind me. I poked my head out and found the next hallway empty as well. The lack of monsters was somehow unsettling. We tiptoed along the hall, peeking into the other doors on the way.

I heard some heavy clacking noises I ushered Eba and Blight into an empty hallway, raising my hand to tell them to stay quiet. A few seconds later, an armored zombie pigman walked by. It didn't seem to notice us, but I still held my breath until it was out of sight.

Eba sighed in relief. "Well, now we know that monsters do patrol the fortress, just not often."

I nodded but kept quiet, moving silently onwards. We wandered the hallways for a little while before coming across a staircase. There were small clumps of netherwart piled up beside the stairs, their soul sand having been removed for some reason. I started picking them up and handing them to Eba.

"Put them in your pants pockets."

The endergirl frowned in irritation. "These pants don't _have_ pockets."

I groaned softly. "Figures. I'll carry them, then. My shorts have pockets."

Blight, who was keeping watch, huffed. "I'd like to help you, but the netherwart will rot away if I so much as touch it."

"It's fine, Blight," Eba assured him.

We gathered all the netherwart and started going up the stairs, wanting to reach the roof to find some blazes. We ended up on another floor, and kept wandering to search for another staircase. We had some close calls with a couple of zombie pigmen, but were not caught. Eventually, Blight found another staircase. Like the last time, the netherwart was tied in clumps beside the stairs, and the soul sand they had probably been planted in was nowhere to be seen.

We gathered the plants and walked up the stairs carefully, trying to make no noise. This set of stairs led tus outside, but there was another floor higher up. I groaned. "We don't need to climb that, do we? Let's just see if we can find a blaze somewhere around here."

Eba nodded. "Agreed. I'm starting to feel dizzy from wandering so many hallways."

I started walking the open-air hallways, searching with my gaze for any signs of blazes. I could just make out a trail of smoke on the other side of the roof. I gestured for the demon and endergirl to follow before heading in that direction. And, sure enough, there was a blaze sort of hovering there just around the corner. I drew my bow and Blight summoned a simple sword, asking Eba not to get involved in a hushed tone.

I peeked out once again. The blaze was turned away from us, it's bright rods rotating lazily around the plume of smoke that made up its body. I nocked an arrow into my bow and faced Blight. "Ready?"

The demon nodded. I turned back to the blaze. "Okay. Three... two... one..."

I dashed around the corner and fired at the monster. The arrow pierced one of the blaze's rods like a dinner fork before going up in flames. The monster whirled around, surprised and angry. A ghastly exhale escaped the blaze as it began rising into the air. Its rods began spinning rapidly, and the smoke coming off it blackened.

Blight stood beside me, his sword drawn. "Keep shooting," he urged.

I started flinging arrows towards the monster. Only two of them hit before the blaze released a volley of fireballs. Blight used his sword to deflect most of them, but one blew up on his left shoulder. I sidestepped out of his way to let the demon fall back. The blaze was pissed, hovering in a slow zig-zagging fashion, and the smoke coming off it was darker than a moon-less night.

It exhaled again, and more fireballs flew at me. I dodged all of them and continued firing my bow. Blight came back then. "How come you haven't killed it?"

"It's hard to hit something made out of smoke!" I shot back.

Blight ran forwards as the blaze started to drift down. He reared back with his sword and threw it at the monster. It made a loud coughing sound before going up in flames and then disappearing. A single blaze rod lay on the ground. Blight stared smugly at me. "It doesn't seem too hard."

I groaned and reached for the blaze rod. The demon put his hand up. "Don't. I'll carry it. I don't want either of you to get burnt."

I crossed my arms. "Then how are we going to take it back, wise guy? Eba can't teleport you."

Blight hummed thoughtfully and started looking around. "Well... fine. Wrap it up in something that won't catch fire too easily."

I thought about this for a second and emptied my quiver. "Here. The leather will hold for long enough."

The demon nodded and placed the blaze rod inside. "Okay. We need to go back with the rest of the traveling party."

Eba was waiting for us in the hallway, keeping watch. She smiled when she noticed us. "Are we finished?"

I smiled back. "Yeah. We can go back home. Think you can hold out for that long?"

The endergirl wiped her brown with one hand. "I sure hope so. This infernal heat is just awful. Come over here."

I took Eba's hand and closed my eyes. I felt the dry heat disappear for a split second before I was suffocated by it again. I opened my eyes to find us a few meters away from Thomas and our friends. I started pulling Eba forward. "Come on."

The endergirl followed sluggishly. "Wait a second... let me get my breath back."

Thomas turned around and smiled when he heard us. Our friends walked over, except for Jack who was panting like a dog and sweating like a pig. I hugged Thomas quickly and then started heading back the way we had come from. "Let's go. We can celebrate back home, where we don't boil in our own sweat."

Jack got up with difficulty and started trotting after me. "Best fucking idea I've ever heard," he breathed.

Simon caught up to me with ease. Despite his poker face, I could tell the heat made him as miserable as Jack. "Did you get everything?"

I nodded. "Eight little clumps of netherwart and one blaze rod."

The creeper boy nodded. "Great. Let's go. We've been over here too long, and Izabell will be worrying her head off."

I giggled, picturing my friend's anxious gaze a half-inch from the window. "Yeah, That sounds like her. How much time passed since we went through the portal?"

The creeper boy counted off numbers with his fingers. "Two and a half hours. Definitely enough to turn Z into a frantic mess."

I shook my head. We continued walking in silence towards the cavern we started from. Jack only tripped once more on the way. Maybe twenty minutes later we finally arrived back at the tunnel entrance that led to the cavern.

Thomas had us wait and regroup just outside of the nether portal. "Okay, just so we don't have to come back anytime soon, what did we gather and how much of it?"

Valory dropped a burlap sack at his feet. "A lot of quartz."

Jack dumped another sack beside the first. "A metric shit-load of netherrack."

Thomas dropped his own burlap sack. "Quite a lot of glowstone."

I pulled the bundles of netherwart from my pockets. "Plenty of netherwart..." I then took off the quiver and showed everyone its contents. "... and a single glorious blaze rod."

Thomas nodded, smiling at me, and heaved a sigh. "Great! Now we can finally get out of this place."

"Already?"

We all whirled around to find a guy standing beside the tunnel entrance. He was just as tall as Thomas, a bit paler, and his irises were jet-black. The smile on his face was everything but friendly. "I thought you'd have better manners, brother. It's rude to come in and then leave without ever greeting your host." He spit out the word _brother_.

We stood in shock, simply staring at the newcomer. Eba looked particularly spooked, and Blight looked angry. Thomas took a step forwards. "Who are you?"

The guy scoffed. "That's insulting, brother." Again, the word 'brother' was laced with poison. "How can you not know who I am?" His black gaze locked on to Eba and Blight. He smirked and nodded at them. "They know. Why don't you tell him? Who am I?"

Eba couldn't speak. Blight growled. "You're Darkness."

The newcomer smiled. "Indeed." He turned to stare daggers into Thomas. "I am Darkness, current ruler of the entire nether-realm."

We took a moment to process his words. "You're the one that has been sending all the mutant monsters," Valory breathed.

Darkness chuckled. "Yes, I sent the monsters. But it seems that you were too much for them to handle."

"Why?" Thomas asked. "Why have you been attacking us?"

Darkness's smile faded. "Don't you know? Do you not know what you are, _brother_?"

Thomas glared at the demon. "Don't call me that."

That menacing smile returned. "So you don't. Well then, why dont I tell you?" The demon moved away from the wall, taking a few steps towards us. "You, dear brother, are the so-called golden spirit. The hero meant to stop me from wiping your precious clans off the map. But times are changing."

The demon started circling us like a shark. "My troops will ravage the closest mob city in less than a week. And you won't be able to do anything this time. None of you will."

Darkness took another step forward and swung a black sword at the tunnel entrance, causing it to close. "Because I'll kill you first."

We all drew our weapons, ready for the demon to attack. Darkness chuckled. "You lot are more skittish than a mouse."

Simon, who was standing on the other side of Thomas, spoke softly. "Get out of here."

Thomas turned to look at our friend in disbelief. "What?"

The creeper boy didn't take his eyes off darkness. "Take the materials back home. Get Z to heal Adrian, then take one of the airships to warn the people. I'll buy you some time."

Thomas looked even more shocked. "We're not leaving you here."

Simon smiled and pulled out a dark orb from his inner hoodie pockets. "I wasn't asking." He placed the orb in Thomas's hand and made him chuck it through the portal. Thomas stared at Simon with wide disbelieving eyes before disappearing, purple particles drifting down from where he stood.

The creeper boy turned back to look at Darkness. "All of you, go home. Don't let him back in."

We couldn't believe our ears. "What are you doing, Simon?" I asked.

"What I think is right. Go, there's no time to waste."

We hesitated for a moment longer before running towards the portal. I heard Simon call for me just before I walked through. I stared at him, feeling numb.

The creeper boy blinked at me and turned back to Darkness. "Tell Izabell I'm sorry."

I took in his words and then walked through the portal.

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Izabell's POV

I checked Adrian's temperature again and then went back to the window, watching the nether portal closely. "What's taking them so long?" I muttered to myself.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that they are literally walking through _hell_," Lila retorted. "Just calm down, Izabell. They'll be back as soon as they can."

I sighed and slumped against the window. "I know, but it's so worrying that they're not back yet."

The cave spider groaned but didn't say anything else. Kaitlin had been in the med-bay with us for a while before Flicker want nuts all over the house. Now she was giving the baby creeper a bath, telling him off for the mess he made. But Flick still looked as happy and energetic as can be. I sighed again and stared distractedly out the window.

Suddenly, a dark orb flew out from the thin purple sheen of the portal. It crashed against the side of the house, and suddenly Thomas was on the ground, looking rather shocked. I quickly dashed outside, feeling glad that at least he had come back, and worried since nobody else had yet. I threw open the door, surprising the guy.

I stared intently at the portal, waiting, and then everyone else started to walk through. I heaved a sigh of relief, feeling weak. Then I tensed, realizing the horrified and disbelieving looks on their faces. Realizing that Simon wasn't here.

"What happened?" I asked worriedly. "Where's Simon?"

Sarah blinked at me and then looked back at the portal. "He stayed behind."

"What?"

Thomas got up. "We need to go help him."

Valory put a hand on his shoulder. "You heard what he said. We need to warn the clans!"

"Will somebody tell me what's going on???" I pleaded, on the verge of panic.

Thomas hung his head. "Darkness found us. He said his army would attack the nearest mob city in less than a week. Simon, being the stubborn idiot he is, practically shoved us through the portal. He said we should take one of the airships and warn them."

I couldn't believe his words. I stared numbly at the nether portal, still lit and 'wavy'. "And you left him there?" I breathed.

Thomas sighed, looking angry and defeated. "He didn't really give us a choice." He began issuing orders to our friends. "Eba, think you can pilot?"

The endergirl, who looked exhausted, nodded. "I will try my best."

Thomas nodded and looked at Valory and Jack. "Empty the weapons and load the Auikyani with extra coal. I don't know how long we'll need to travel, and I don't want to be running on empty halfway there."

Jack seemed to have gotten a second wind when he passed through the portal. "It takes almost a week on foot to get from here to there. How much faster is the airship?"

Thomas turned away, walking towards the ship. "Fast enough, I hope. Maybe we can get there later today, or early morning tomorrow."

Sarah took off her quiver and pulled out some slightly crumpled herbs from her pockets. "Simon told us to give you these so you could heal Adrian."

I looked at the netherwart and blaze rod, not knowing how to feel. Sarah placed the items gently in my hand. "Hurry, we don't have much time."

I sighed and walked back inside. "And Simon seems to have run out of it," I mumbled sullenly.

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Third person POV (The nether, inside the portal cavern)

Simon and darkness started circling each other shortly after the creeper boy's friends left. The demon chuckled. "That was a bad idea, creeper."

Simon gripped his shortswords even tighter. "I beg to differ."

Darkness smiled devilishly, twirling the black sword in his hand. "Then _beg_."

The demon lunged forward, swinging out in an arc. Simon took a step back, using one of his shortswords to block the next swing. Sparks flew when both blades made contact, and Simon took another stab back. Darkness kept swinging viciously, but the creeper boy managed to block and dodge the attacks.

Simon turned around to get some distance between them. Darkness watched, a demented grin on his face. "There's nowhere to run, creeper!" the demon taunted. "It's just you and me. But, soon, it'll only be me!"

Darkness lunged again, aiming to decapitate Simon. The creeper boy sidestepped and ran a few feet away, hitting the wall with the side of his fist. "I don't think so, Darkness."

The demon's smile faded, and he dashed forward, sword ready to swing. Simon ran, determined to meet him head-on. Darkness swung, and Simon rolled beneath the moving blade, avoinding it comepletely. The creeper boy hopped up behind Darkness and struck him with one sword, the other raised to block any counter-attacks.

Darkness stumbled a bit, surprised for a second. Then the shock faded, and rage set in. The demon whirled around and attacked rapidly. Simon backed up slowly, trying to avoid the savage blows. The creeper boy shoved Darkness backward with his shortswords, taking the opportunity to back off. He hit the wall with the side of his fist again, looking a bit tired.

The demon smiled, feeling triumphant. "You look winded, creeper. Am I too much for you to handle by yourself?"

Simon took a few deep breaths and lifted a sword again. "No, it's just too hot in here."

Darkness growled and threw a black fireball at Simon. Caught off-guard, the creeper boy barely had time to deflect the proyectile. Darkness ran forwards again, his black sword morphing into a long-handled axe. The demon swung his weapon, knocking one of Simon's shortswords away with a mighty blow.

The creeper boy took many steps back, avoiding the sharp edge of Darkness's axe. He hit the wall with his fist again and started circling around Darkness, just out of the demon's reach.

"Why don't you come closer?" the demon taunted. "It'll be so much easier to gut you like a fish."

Simon hit the wall behind him with the side of his fist and shrugged. "If you insist."

Both enemies charged at each other, weapons drawn and ready. Darkness changed his axe back to a sword, and swiped at the creeper boy with glee. Simon used his own sword to block the attack, and ran past the demon, towards the sword that Darkness had made him drop.

The demon threw a couple fireballs at Simon, who blocked them just in time with both shortswords while on his knees, the fallen one having been recovered. The creeper boy got up and hit the wall again. Then he charged, throwing one of his swords ahead. Darknes deflected the thrown blade and blocked Simon's next attack.

They were inches from each other's faces, glaring daggers. Darkness started pushing Simon back, a devilish smirk blooming on his face. "I'm _stronger_," he growled.

Simon grunted from the effort of keeping the demon back. "But I'm _smarter_."

The creeper boy turned quickly, making Darkness stumble forward and cutting his back again with the shortsword. Simon then pulled something small, gray and cylindrical from the inside of his hoodie, stabbing the demon in the back with it before jumping back. Darkness grunted with pain and noticed that sparks were flying from the top of the gray thing.

The demon reached for the thing, eventually gripping it with his fingers and pulling it off. The blade at the bottom of the cylinder was coated in almost black blood. Darkness threw the weapon away, and it exploded a split-second after leaving his hand.

Darkness was breathing heavily, his face twisted with rage. "Clever tactic, creeper," he growled, summoning the black sword again. "But not clever enough."

Simon's breathing was also labored, but then he took a deep breath and spoke calmly. "I think you'll find it plenty clever."

Darkness was about to respond when something caught his eye. Multiple somethings. On different spots of the walls were more of those cylinders, connected with a thin black wire. The demon's eyes widened as Simon took a step towards the closest stretch of wire, poising his fingers to snap at it.

The demon ran towards him, sword in hand. "Don't you dare!" he roared.

Imon smiled innocently at Darkness. "Try and stop me."

Then he snapped his fingers. The wire was lit with the sparks that flew from the creeper boy's gloves, and the fire spread rapidly all along the wall. Darkness could only watch as, one by one, the gray cylinders blew up, sending up smoke and debris. Simon dashed past the demon, aiming to pick up his discarded sword. Darkness growled and chucked fireballs at the creeper boy, who did his best to dodge them.

Simon picked up the sword and sheathed both of them. The demon dashed forward, his sword changing into a large warhammer. He brought it down where Simon had been just a heartbeat too late, making a sizeable dent in the cavern floor. The creeper boy rushed towards the nether portal. Chunks of netherrack and glowstone had started falling from the roof, battering the obsidian frame.

Darkness tried to chase Simon, but too many rocks were falling. They pummeled his sides and back, making the demon stumble. A massive part of the ceiling split off of the roof with a loud crunching sound, plummeting down.

The creeper boy noticed and started pulling something from within his hoodie, hopping over and running around obstacles to reach the nether portal.

Darkness noticed and growled. "Nnnooo!" he roared, throwing his sword at Simon. The blade hurtled through the air, spinning blade over hilt. The creeper boy's eyes widened. He drew a dark orb from his pockets and threw it at the portal.

Simon watched the blade sail closer with every heartbeat, rooted to the spot by fear and rubble, just outside the portal. The black sword was just about to slice his face open.

And then he warped.

The cavern shook as the roof collapsed, crushing the nether portal. Darkness let out one more frustrated roar before a hundred tons of stone squashed him like a bug. His hand twitched once before turning to dust and disappearing like the rest of him did.

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Valory's POV

"Lay back down. You're still weak. Take it easy."

I watched as Izabell eased Adrian back down on his bed. The wither skeleton still looked pale, but his eyes were bright. "I'll be okay now. Thanks, Izabell."

The slime girl, having looked depressed since we came back, nodded and turned back to her brand-new brewing stand, tending to the regeneration potions that were still boiling. It had taken her less than three minutes to set it up, and only five more to make and administer instant healing potions. Kaitlin helped, speeding up the process by heating the blaze rod further.

Lila hugged Adrian tightly, her eyes screwed shut. "I'm so sorry, Adrian," she told him.

The wither skeleton groaned and tapped her arm. "I forgive you, but please, don't squeeze me so hard."

The cave spider let go, looking stung. Adrian took a couple deep breaths and smiled at her. "Thanks."

"I'm sorry," she repeated softly.

The wither skeleton's smile didn't falter. "I know. It's fine, don't worry."

I walked up to Izabell. "Should I tell Thomas?"

The slime girl frowned and then nodded. "Yes, he should know. When are you leaving?"

I started walking away. "Thomas said as soon as possible," I called over my shoulder.

We had been busy checking the airship over and over. Thomas wanted to make sure that we had plenty of fuel, but not so much that it would weight us down. We removed all the weapons from the ship, as well as the ammunition, and brought two large sacks of coal onboard. Eba made sure everything was in tip-top shape, having gone over the ship's mechanical internals many times with Simon.

I climbed up the airship's rope ladder and found Thomas discussing the route we'd take with Jack. "...east. It's easy to spot because of the massive fucking stone wall around the entire city."

Thomas nodded. "How do you think we'll be recieved?"

"Not too well," Jack told him. "Remember, I'm a wanted criminal. So's Sarah. And Adrian, probably. My uncle doesn't like it when people can't finish a task in the time he gave them."

"Well, we really have no choice."

I walked up to them. "Adrian's up."

Thomas smiled. "That's good news. Can he walk yet?"

I shrugged. "Don't know. But I'm sure he'll be able to soon. Izabell gave him two instant healing potions, and the regeneration potions are just about done cooking."

"Okay. Bring him up when he's able, as well as the brewing stand and brewing materials. Izabell can nurse him back to health on the ship."

I nodded and climbed back down the rope. Then I rushed inside and back to the med-bay. Adrian was pacing a little unevenly hile Lila supervised him. Izabell was making some more regeneration potions. I walke dup to the slime girl.

"Thomas wants us to bring Adrian onto the ship."

Izabell didn't look up from the brewing stand. "Okay. He'll be strong enough to climb the rope ladder in a few minutes."

"He also wants us to bring the brewing stuff onboard."

The slime girl nodded but didn't say anything. I felt bad relaying any orders to my friend, who was obviously mourning Simon, but it had to be done. "You're coming too."

She looked up sharply. "What?"

"Thomas wants you to be there so you can keep helping Adrian."

Panic sparked in Izabell's lime-green eyes. "I can't. I need to stay here."

I blinked, confused. "What? Why?"

"I have to wait for Simon to come back."

I sighed, feeling sympathy for my friend. "Izabell-"

"I'm not leaving without him. And I know he's still alive. If you won't go in there to help him, then at least let me stay here to heal him when he comes out," she pleaded.

I was speechless for a second, and then sighed. "Okay. I'll tell Thomas."

Izabell looked relieved. "Thank you. Adrian will only need a few more regen potions. I can teach Lila how and when to give them to him."

I nodded. "Alright. I'll tell Thomas that too."

So I walked all the way back and climbed the rope ladder once again. Eba was at the wheel this time, checking the controls for any faults. Thomas was pacing the deck, looking impatient and worried. "Izabell wants to stay behind," I called.

Thomas stopped pacing. "What? She can't."

I crossed my arms. "I'm staying too."

He blinked. "Why?"

"I can't leave my friend behind," I explained. "She says she can teach Lila how to heal Adrian so she can stay and wait to see if Simon will be coming back."

Thomas stared at the lit nether portal. "I hope he does," he muttered. "Fine. You two can stay. Please get Lila and Adrian up here as fast as you can."

"Way ahead of you."

We watched Lila climb up the rope ladder and then turn around to help Adrian. The wither skeleton looked tired, but he managed to get up without too much trouble. Thomas nodded and turned to look at Eba. "Is everything ready?"

The endergirl nodded. "I just need someone to be the navigator, and somebody else to keep the engines fueled."

Jack poked his head out from belowdecks. "I'll be navigator."

Thomas shrugged. "I can do the coal-shoveling."

Eba smiled. "Then we're all set to go."

I nodded and gave my farewell to everybody. Then I climbed down the rope ladder. Izabell was there, waving at the airship with Snowdrift in his hands. Flicker was at her side, looking sad for the very first time. Kaitlin had bawled her eyes out saying goodbye to the baby creeper, who had also cried. The blaze princess left to hide in the airship before anyone else, not wanting to see her little monster cry.

Izabell stared at me, looking puzzled. "Aren't you going with them?"

I shook my head and smiled. "I'm staying here with you."

I turned around and waved at our friends before she could ask me anything else. Eba, Sarah, Kaitlin (who was still crying) Adrian, Lila, and Jack waved back. The endergirl turned on the engine, and the airship's propeller began spinning faster and faster. We continued waving until they were out of sight, having sailed through the air over the mountains.

Flicker had been standing between me and Izabell, and the little creeper slumped against my leg. He looked incredibly sad, dark tears trailing down his green cheeks. I picked him up and started walking inside.

Suddenly, a dark orb flew out of the nether portal. Izabell and I stopped in our tracks as Simon teleported on the side of the house, grunting from the impact. The nether portal groaned and collapsed, the violet sheen blinking out of existence, a split-second later. Izabell gasped and ran towards him, depositing Snowdrift in my arms.

The slime girl fell to her knees on the snowy ground and embraced Simon tightly. She was sobbing almost as hard as Kaitlin had. "You're back! You're alive!"

The creeper boy nodded, hugging her back. "I'm here, Z. I told you I'd return."

Izabell started punching him with one hand as the other held on tighter. "I hate you, I _hate you_ so much... I told you not to do anything stupid!"

Simon chuckled and kissed her deeply. The slime girl struggled for a bit, punching him harder, before leaning into the kiss hungrily. I turned away, letting them do their thing. Flicker was trying to get away from Snowdrift, who was choking him on accident with his fluffy white tail. I put them both down, and watched as the little snow fox licked Flick's face apologetically.

I heard the couple talking behind me, so I turned around. Simon was on his feet, and Izabell had taken his hands in hers. "Are you okay?"

The creeper boy rolled his shoulders. "Yeah. Just a little tired and battered. The roof caved in."

Izabell looked shocked. "Really?"

Simon looked out the corners of his eyes, shrugging. "I may or may not have brought it down intentionally."

The slime girl sighed, closing her eyes. "I told you not to do anything stupid," she repeated.

"And I said I couldn't make any promises," the creeper replied, kissing the top of Izabell's head.

I crossed my arms and cleared my throat. "Okay, great, Simon's alive! Now what do we do?"

Simon frowned. "Did Thomas leave to warn the clans?"

I nodded. "Yeah. He took everyone else on the _Auikyani_, headed for Veridon."

"How long ago?"

"Uh... five minutes? Something like that? The airship is very fast."

The creeper boy nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, That was kind of the goal. Help me empty out the _MKII_. We need to go after them."

Izabell looked surprised. "Really? Are you sure?"

Simon sighed and started walking towards the airship field, where the other two airships we had built rested. "Yes. I just experienced what Darkness can do. If he managed to survive, then the clans are going to need as much help as they can get."

Izabell and I stared at each other in disbelief before following the creeper boy.

I had a feeling that everything was going to go downhill very fast from now on.

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Author's Notes

This is officially the longest chapter I have written. And honestly? I feel very, very proud of how it turned out. :D

In case you hadn't noticed, everyone is sprinting to reach Veridon City before everybody else. So, if things seem rushed, that's cuz they are. :P

I hope you've enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Thank you so much for your time, patience, and support. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	59. The Journey There

Author's Notes

Tsss... um... *ahem* I, uh, I would like to apologize for, eh, not having posted this on time. For, uh, taking _twelve days_ to upload this chapter. So, I'm sorry, it... well, it'll probably happen again. :I Sorry about that in advance.

Anywho... Reviews!

GiggiEba, heh, well, it was kind of obvious, right? Im glad you enjoyed the chapter!

ThinMint, :D seriously, that made me laugh. Indeed. Let's hope you're betting on the right places, then. Thank you very much!

And now, at long last, let's get on with the story!

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Darkness's POV

I shook snow from my boots, grumbling to myself. We had made good time, walking down half of the mountain in one day. And, surprisingly, with no casualties. My generals kept pace with me, as did Trudy, who became grumpier than usual in the cold. I could almost see the famous wall that surrounded most of Veridon City, home of the skeleton king.

My Argonaut general hopped down from a rock formation to stand beside me. "My liegé, I have some unfortunate news. It seems that your brother managed to kill your shadow."

I smiled at the monster. "I was aware."

The wither skeleton looked surprised. "You knew? But how?"

I scoffed. "It's my shadow, General. I knew the second it perished. Besides, it never stood a chance against my brother."

My general frowned. "Then why did you leave it there if you knew it'd be killed?"

"Because, General, it would cause a diversion. Give him a false sense of security. If he believes that I am dead, then he'd be unprepared for an attack. And then I'd finally win."

The wither skeleton nodded slowly. "And... if it revealed your plan?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if your shadow felt so confident about its victory, then what if it revealed your plan?"

I considered his words carefully, and then I turned away. "It wouldn't matter, General. It's a weeks journey from my brother's precious valley to Veridon. They'd never make it in time."

My general shifted. "And if they do?" He looked visibly worried for my response.

I stared at the snow-covered moors below. "The plan remains the same. My brother's presence changes nothing." Then I continued climbing down the rocky mountainside.

_The battle comes ever nearer, brother. And, try as you might, you will never win._

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Izabell's POV

"We'll be back as soon as we can, Ara."

"Don't worry. I will keep them, and the houssse, sssafe."

It had been almost two hours since Simon had come back from the portal. He, Val, and I had begun preparing the MKII for flight. We had called our creeper friend over to keep Flicker and Snowdrift safe, deeming it too dangerous for them to tag along. Ara gladly accepted, and I'd gone over some care instructions for Snowdrift with her. Speaking of...

I picked up my little snow fox and hugged him close to my chest. He licked my cheek, his fluffy ears drooping slightly. "Aw... I'll miss you too, buddy. But we'll come get you, I promise. Once we deal with this, I will come back okay?"

Snowdrift whined and snuggled closer to me. I held on tighter, closing my eyes. "I'm going to miss you, Snowdrift." I placed him gently down, earning another heart-wrenching whine. "Please take care of him," I begged Ara.

"I will. I'll take good care of him and Flicker, and the three of usss will be waiting here for you when you get back."

Simon came over and stood beside me. "Thank you for this, Ara. Thank you so much for all your help."

Our creeper friend managed the closest thing to a smile. "Thank you too. Good luck, Sssimon. Isssabell. And Valory," she said, looking over our shoulders to where the spider was waiting on the ship's deck. I bent down, kissed Snowdrift's head, and stood back up looking at him. "I'll be back. I promise."

Simon put his arm around me. "Come on. We need to get catch up with Thomas as soon as possible."

We said our goodbyes to Ara, Snowdrift, and Flicker, before climbing the rope ladder of the MKII. Simon sighed. "Okay. Valory, could you raise the anchor?"

The spider nodded and walked belowdecks. I frowned at the other airship, which floated in place some distance away. The Dragoon, as Simon had dubbed it, was bigger than both the Auikyani and the MKII, and supposedly had better weapons. I pointed at it.

"Why didn't we take that one?"

Simon walked over to the steering wheel. "It's slower because of its size. We need to reach Veridon soon, and the MKII is only a bit slower than the Auikyani. That's why."

I crossed my arms and stared at the house. Ara and Snowdrift were still standing outside the door, waiting for us to leave. "Do I have to do anything?"

"Yes. Could you turn on the main engine? This one and the Dragoon are powered with redstone, which is part of why they are slower, but then we don't run the risk of exploding due to engine failure and it is much easier to maintain."

"Okay."

I walked belowdecks. Valory was pushing the button to bring the anchor up, and she waved at me. I smiled back and headed towards the large engine that occupied half the space down here. I was glad that Valory had decided to stay behind with me. I pulled down the engine's three levers in order and the machine came to life, glowing a dim red in some places.

I waited for Val to finish with the anchor and we both walked back up the stairs. Simon was making sure the flight controls and gizmos were in perfect working order before nodding at us. "Everything good down there?"

Valory nodded back. "The engine's on and the anchor's up. We're set to go."

Simon nodded and walked up to the railing. "Say goodbye to Ara, guys."

We all bunched up against the railing and waved at our creeper friend. The monster 'smiled' back, wishing us good luck. Then Simon went back to the wheel and we began to move. The airship jolted upwards and then started rising gently. I could finally see the top of the trees and of our house. Both were comepletely covered in snow.

We waved at the friends we left behind. I'll be back, I promised mentally. I promise I'll come back for you Snowdrift. I promise.

We flew high above the canopy of the trees, headed west. We neared the mountains quickly, and Simon positioned us to fly between two snowy peaks.

Then we were gone, outside of the valley we had called home for... for almost six months. We left its beautiful forests and lush meadows. The mountain range that sheltered us from most of the harsh winter wind. The glittering lake, now frozen. We left our home, to go save that of others.

I turned away from the railing and walked up to Simon. I placed my head on his shoulder, feeling hollow. "How long until we reach Veridon?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "We might get there tomorrow morning at best. Thomas would probably be there in a few more hours."

I hummed in understanding and closed my eyes. "I miss him already."

Simon knew that I was talking about Snowdrift. "I know, Z. I miss him too. But we'll be back once Darkness is dealt with, don't worry."

Valory looked at us over her shoulder from the railing. "Do you think it'll be that easy?"

Simon was quiet for some time. "No," he finally answered. "This will not be easy at all."

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Time leap; 1 hour. Izabell's POV

"That one looks like a silverfish."

"And that one kinda looks like a turtle."

We got bored not twenty minutes into the journey, so Val and I had started looking for shapes in the clouds. Simon was deeply focused on the airship's gizmos and stuff, making sure we were still on the right track. I spotted a dark cloud amongst the rest. I pointed it out to Simon.

"Do you see that cloud over there?"

The creeper boy stared at it in thought. "Yeah. It's probably loaded with water and angry lightning."

"But it shouldn't be a problem, right?" I asked him. "It looks too far to be troublesome."

Simon shrugged. "I doubt it'll become an inconvenience."

"Oh. Okay." I looked down at the forest below with my crossed arms on the railing. It was hard for me to keep my thoughts from wandering back to Snowdrift, and the fact that I'd abandoned him. So, instead of thinking, I just tried to find anything interesting in the woods or the sky.

"Hey, look at that."

I turned to stare at Valory, who was looking at the forest closer to the front of the ship. I walked over and searched the woods for whatever it is that caught her eye. The spider pointed at a clear spot in the canopy. "I think that's a house."

I squinted at the small clearing. Sure enough, you could see the bottom corner of a building in the distance. The walls were stone, and the corners were tall spruce logs from what I could see. "You're right. Who would live out here by themselves?"

"We really don't have time to find out," Simon told us. "We need to keep moving to get to Veridon on time."

Valory nodded. "It looks kind of abandoned anyway."

I frowned at the house. I saw a shadow move among the bushes that were growing around the building. "No, I don't think it's abandoned. Something moved."

Val shrugged. "It's probably a chicken or something. Maybe a fox."

I sighed. "Maybe you're right." I was about to turn away when something ran in front of the house. And it was definitely not a critter, I shook Valory's shoulder, pointing at the house. "Did you see that? There is someone there!"

The spider pushed my hand of her shoulder. "Okay, Okay! Just stop shaking me. I didn't see anything."

"But I did! Look closer."

We stared at the building through the leaves that were in the way. It was hard to look at one thing while constantly moving forwards very quickly. There was a break in the canopy, and we could once again see the building. And something else.

A bald head was poking out from behind a bush. The person had grey-ish skin and green eyes, a unibrow, and a very unfriendly frown. The second our eyes met he hid back into the bush. I blinked and stared at Valory. She looked just as confused as I felt.

"You saw that, right?"

"Yeah. Who was that?"

"He didn't look very nice, whoever it was."

Simon looked up from the ship's controls. "What are you two talking about?"

I turned and opened my mouth to explain, and then Valory, barreled me over. "Get down!"

An arrow wizzed past out heads, and flew over to the other side of the ship without hitting anything. I crawled away from Valory, trying to peek over the edge at the forest bellow. A second arrow flew by, causing me to flinch back. A third arrow sailed through the air, missing Simon's head by an inch. I called for him to duck, but the creeper boy had already moved by then, crouching low to the ground.

I crawled over to him. "Not friendly, that's for sure."

Simon was staring up at the balloon. An arrow hit it and bounced off harmlessly. The creeper boy let out a sigh. "At least their arrows aren't sharp enough to pop the balloon."

Valory looked up from where she was laying flat on her back. "So what are we gonna do? Nothing at all?"

"We can't just lay here," the creeper boy muttered. "The winds will move the airship in the wrong direction." Simon sighed. "But I'm afraid that's what we'll have to do. We simply need to wait until we're out of the pillager's effective range, and then I'll pilot us back on track."

Valory nodded and flopped back down. "At least we're safe up here."

I crossed my arms and placed my head on top of them, lying on my stomach. "Yeah. There's that."

Suddenly, a metal hook grappled onto the railing. I stared at Simon in alarm. The creeper boy shrugged. "Guess it's not as safe as you thought," he said, slowly getting up and drawing his shortswords. He gave me one and stood at the ready as four more grappling hooks were thrown onto the railing. Malicious laughter was followed by five pillagers climbing up the hook's chains.

All five of them had wonky-looking crossbows and quivers filled with arrows. And they were aimed at us. Simon blocked two arrows and ran forward. The creeper boy swung out at one of the pillagers, but he swung onto the deck and rolled away, hopping back to his feet some distance away.

I blocked the arrows shot at me with the sword and did the same thing as Simon. The pillagers I attacked tried to do the same thing as the other one, but he missed and plummeted into the thick canopy far below. The other pillagers narrowed their eyes at me and hopped onto the airship's deck. I backed up, feeling panic bubble up within me.

The fifth pillagers, who's crossbow was still loaded, took aim at my head. He shot the arrow, but Valory deflected it with her spear. The spider dashed towards the pillagers and started swinging out at him with her double-headed spear. The grey-skinned man tried to defend himself with his empty crossbow, but Valory pushed him back and he fell over the railing.

We started fighting one-on-one. Simon's pillager reloaded in record time, taking aim at the creeper boy. I stared in horror as the arrow buried itself in Simon's shoulder despite his attempt to dodge it. My own adversary took advantage of my distraction and reloaded his crossbow. I managed to narrowly avoid his arrow by flinching away in fear. I swung wildly at the pillager, hoping to at least scratch him somewhat.

I could see Valory fighting with the other pillager out of the corner of my eye. She spun expertly, attacking her enemy with her spear's blades. She managed to disarm him, throwing the crossbow over the edge. She pressed one of the spearheads to his throat. The pillager glared at her and started pulling out two arrows from his pockets. Quick as a snake, Valory spun her spear, cutting open his stomach, and then sliced upwards, splitting the gray-skinned man's neck and causing him to fall overboard.

My pillager foe stared at the spider in horror for a second before loading his crossbow and firing at her. My friend deflected the arrow with her spear and ran forwards to cut the pillager down. The gray-skinned man used his empty crossbow to block Valory's blow, and then he knocked her to the ground with a hard shove. I snapped out of my panic-stricken daze and pushed the pillager back.

The gray-skinned man stumbled a little and then fell over the railing, tumbling head over heels twice before being swallowed by the thick forest canopy. I helped Valory get back on her feet, feeling shocked at what I had just done. The spider thanked me and we both turned to look at Simon. He and the pillager were circling each other, weapons drawn. Simon's left arm hung limply, the arrow still stuck to his shoulder.

He creeper boy raised a hand when Val took a step forwards, not taking his eyes off the pillager. The gray-skinned man chuckled maliciously, pulling out a large knife from his jacket. He twirled it in his hand over and over before gripping it blade-down. Simon tensed, and I thought that he was scared of his opponent.

But then he leaned forward, swinging his sword in an arc. The pillager rolled out of the way and hopped back to his feet, turning around to face Simon again. The creeper boy flipped his sword, and was now holding it blade-down like the pillager with his knife. Simon crouched low to the ground, ready to spring.

And then he dashed forwards, swinging his shortsword once before flipping it back upright and swinging again. The pillager hopped out of range both times and then tried to stab Simon with his knife. The creeper boy sidestepped and shoved the pillager back with his good shoulder. The gray-skinned man dropped the knife and fell on his bottom, leaning against the railing with his eyes closed in pain.

Simon glowered over him, his shortsword still drawn. The pillager below him stared defiantly back as the creeper boy raised the sword. I covered my mouth with my hands. The shortsword trembled in Simon's hand. And then the creeper boy brought it back down slowly, tucking it back into its sheath. He picked p the pillager's crossbow, which lay nearby, and inspected the weapon. The gray-skinned man made a move to get up, and Simon knocked him out with one swing of the crappy wooden crossbow.

The creeper boy sighed and walked towards the ship's controls. "Val, could you tie him up?"

My friend nodded, producing string from her fingertips and fashioning some web rope. I followed Simon, wanting to look him over. I stopped him before he could reach the wheel by taking his hand in mine. The creeper boy waited patiently for me to finish my check-up. After making sure he had no other wounds, I wrapped my hands around the arrow in his shoulder.

"This is going to hurt, okay? Stay still."

Simon hummed and stared at the horizon. I nodded to myself and gripped the arrow tighter. "Three... two... one..."

I yanked the proyectile out from his shoulder. The creeper boy held back a shout, trembling slightly. I pulled out a gauze from my pockets and started dressing his wound. Simon's eyes were closed tightly, and he was breathing deeply. I kissed his cheek, trying to calm him down. It always pained me to hurt him while treating his injuries.

The creeper boy sighed, holding his shoulder. He smiled at me despite the pain. "Thanks, Z."

I squeezed his hand and stared at his shoulder. The bandage was turning red very slowly. "Can you move it?" I asked.

Simon nodded. "But I'd rather not."

"Why?" I asked, a tinge of worry crawling into my voice.

He shrugged with only one shoulder. "It hurts a lot. And I might make the injury worse if I move it too much."

I crossed my arms and frowned at him. "Then... how will you pilot the ship?"

The creeper boy smiled. "I can pilot one-handed," he said proudly.

I sighed and took a step back, letting him get to the wheel. I watched closely as he began turning the ship and fiddling with the rest of the controls. We rose a couple more meters into the air, and turned a few degrees back to the west.

"Um... Izabell?"

I stared at Valory, who'd come up from belowdecks after tying up the pillager and leaving him there. The spider cast a worried glance at me. "You remember that cloud you said was too far to be troublesome?"

I walked up to her, not liking where this was going. "Uh-huh?"

Valory turned and pointed at the horizon to my left. "Well I doubt it's the same one, but it's much closer now."

I followed her gaze, and a little gasp escaped me. A massive storm cloud towered over us, thunder rumbling deep within. It got closer and closer, until we were passing right under it. Heavy rains started pounding the balloon and the side of the airship. The deck was soaked immediately, and cold wind buffeted our faces. I let go of the railing and walked over to Simon. The airship wobbled slightly, making this feat difficult.

I hugged him tightly, already shivering from the cold. The creeper boy grimaced at the sky. "That sucks."

Lightning crashed right beside us, making me and Valory shout in alarm. Simon veered the ship away very suddenly, and the whole thing wobbled again. He pushed the lever that controlled our speed to the max and fought against the winds to keep us moving in the right direction. More lightning and thunder crashed everywhere. I covered behind Simon, and Val rushed belowdecks to stay away from the rain.

A loud snapping sound made me jerk my head to the right. One of the ropes that tethered the balloon to the airship had given away from the stress the wind and rain caused. I hugged Simon even tighter. The creeper boy simply stared at the flailing rope.

"Well, shit."

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Thomas's POV

I stood at the bow of the ship, staring at the emerald plains beyond. A dull and Moss-covered wall stood maybe two kilometers away. Our journey had been pretty uneventful, even boring at times, but we made it.

Jack walked up to me, staring at the wall in the distance. "We're here," I told him.

"Yeah," the stray replied. "We're here. We should light a flare or something. My uncle doesn't like surprise visits from anybody."

I frowned. "Okay... where do we get a flare?"

Jack smiled and turned around, pointing at Kaitlin, who was looking at the ground below over the railing. "We have one right here."

The blaze princess turned around and eyed us curiously. "What is it?"

"Well, we need you to act as a signal flare to get the king's attention. Jack says that it's best we announce ourselves before barging in."

The stray nodded. "We need to give my uncle fair warning so he doesn't pull his 'threat of invasion' card."

I stared at Jack. "He's done that before?"

The stray chuckled. "You have no idea how many times he's used that excuse to chase someone off his land."

Kaitlin tapped me on the shoudler. "I'd like to help. So do I just... make some fire?"

Jack nodded. "We need a flame big enough for them to see clearly."

The blaze princess nodded and walked to the edge of the ship's bow. She put her hands together, rubbed them a little, and opened them again. A good-sized flame erupted from them, reaching for the clouds. Jack and I took a step back when the heat became too much. The stray kept an eye on the wall, and the entrance that led into it. I watched along with him as a man in iron armor poked his head out after opening the gate.

I waved at him, and the man ducked back into the wall. I stood back from the railing and walked towards Eba. The endergirl had been piloting for three hours straight, but she didn't seem too bothered by this. Actually, it poked like she enjoyed her time at the wheel. She smiled at me as I neared.

I smiled back at her. "We finally made it."

"Yeah," she replied. "And, um... what's Kait doing?"

I chuckled. "Jack said it was best to warn the king about our arrival a little early. Kaitlin's helping with that."

"Ah. Huh."

Sarah walked up from belowdecks and looked around. I smiled at the pretty skeleton girl and stood beside her. "How are things downstairs?"

Sarah smiled and pecked me on the cheek. "Very well. Adrian's pretty much as strong as ever. He and Lila are talking about some stuff, so I wanted to give them privacy."

I nodded, looking at the horizon. The sun was beginning to set, turning the sky a gorgeous orange color. "We're a couple minutes from our destination at most."

The skeleton girl raised an eyebrow. "Really? Thank the lords. I was starting to think that we wouldn't get to the city on time."

I sighed. "Yeah, me too. We'll be touching down pretty soon."

"Hey, Thomas?"

I turned to stare at Jack, who waved me over. "Come look at this."

I walked towards him and looked over the railing. The wall, now closer, had its gate fully raised. A half-dozen soldiers were standing in front of it, with more lining up as well. All of them were holding some mean-looking spears and wearing full iron armor. One of them wore a bejeweled set, and was barking orders at the rest from what we could see. He kept slapping the soldier beside him every time that one raised his hand and asked a question.

Jack smiled at me. "What a lovely welcoming comitee, huh?"

I grimaced. "Yeah. Do you think that'll cause any trouble?"

"Oh, it'll cause trouble alright. Once at least three ranks of ten soldiers are standing before the gate, my uncle himself will walk out to greet us."

"I'm guessing that's not good."

"I'm a wanted criminal, remember? So's Sarah and Adrian."

I sighed, staring at the wall. "Well, let's just hope the king's feeling generous to day."

the stray snorted. "I usually hope for things that could actually be true."

I chuckled, shaking my head slowly. Then something caught my eye. I tapped Jack's shoulder frantically, not liking what I saw one bit. The stray followed my gaze and cringed. Kaitlin stared at us like we were crazy and then looked over my shoulder. The blaze princess squ8nted for a second before a gasp escaped her.

At least five thousand monsters were marching, far off in the distance, over hills and plains. At least. They walked in straight lines like ants, or soldiers, in the same direction we were flying. From what I could see, all of them were wearing full metal armor.

"I didn't know there was so many..." Kaitlin breathed.

Jack huffed. "We're fucked."

I ran my hands through my hair.

"If the king doesn't want to help us, then... then I guess Darkness already won."

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Theridas's POV

"Theridas, could I have another one of those bread thingies?"

"Of course, Ella. Do you want chicken or steak?"

"Chicken!"

"Alright, alright. Let's see..."

I dug through the picnic basket and fished out a chicken _tor—torta_? I think? I'm still not sure on how to pronounce it. Pepper and Ella had wanted to have a meal outside, but the park had been too crowded for our taste, so we were having a picnic on the roof of ms. Brekelbaum's apartment building. After convincing her that we wouldn't be too loud, and promising that we'd clean up later.

I handed the paper-wrapped foodstuff to Ella, and the little ghast girl began munching on it happily. Pepper had been sitting next to me, so I placed my arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me, planting a kiss on her cheek. The beautiful creeper woman smiled and kissed me back. We continued eating and talking amongst ourselves. However, Lady Anastasia didn't say a word, other than to accept or reject anything offered to her.

The ex-queen had been staring at the horizon for a long time. Her shoulders were slumped, and she had been looking blue for some time. She waved me away every time I questioned her about this. It was worrying to see the former monarch so... smooshed. Pepper had tried to comfort me, and when that didn't work, she tried to explain to me that it was probably just a 'girl thing'. I got the hint, and decided to leave Lady Anastasia alone.

Now I sat and watched as Pepper taught Ella how to braid her hair. I finished eating my last bread thingy and then stared at the sky. The sun was setting, and everything was tinged with purple and orange. Then I saw Lady Anastasia jerk her head up out of the corner of my eye.

The ex-Queen was still looking out at Veridon's massive stone wall, but something had caught her attention. I stood up and walked over, sitting besides her. Lady Anastasia didn't seem to notice. I followed her gaze, and blinked in surprise. A large boat hanging from a massive balloon by ropes was drifting down to the ground right in front of the wall. There was a large orange flame coming from the front.

"Do you see that, Theridas?" Lady Anastasia asked.

"Yes I do milady. I wonder what it could be. Perhaps some sort of transport for high-ranking military officials."

The ex-monarch shook her head. "I... I think it's Kaitlin. I think that's my daughter."

I stared at her in surprise. "What? Um... not to be pessimistic, milady, but I doubt tha-"

Lady Anastasia whirled around and faced me, desperation and hope in her eyes. "Theridas, Do you see the flames? Do you see them? No other mob can produce fire that pure. Only a blaze can. It has to be her."

I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Milady, I know you miss her greatly-"

The ex-Queen shrugged my hand off. "Don't treat me like a child, Theridas. I know it's her." She turned again and stared wistfully at the floating ship. "My baby's alive."

Then she hurried away, heading through the roof access door and downstairs. I stuttered for a while, not knowing what to do. Then I blinked and started running after the former monarch. I heard Ella calling for me, so I turned around. The little ghast girl and Pepper were staring at me with incredulous faces. I grimaced and looked over my shoulder at the stairs where lady Anastasia had disappeared.

"What happened?" Pepper asked.

I made a choice and started chasing after Lady Anastasia again. "I'm sorry! Bring Ella, okay? I'm going after her!"

Pepper's mouth dropped and I started running down the stairs. I heard her groan on the roof. "Come on, babygirl. Help me clean this place up and then we'll follow them."

"Where are they going?" Ella asked.

"I don't know, but I'll kill Theridas when we catch up."

I smiled despite my fear for Lady Anastasia and continued running after the ex-Queen.

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Thomas's POV

"I think we're close enough. You can start bringing us down, Eba."

The endergirl nodded, pulling a lever back slowly. "Okay... Sarah, could you spot for me? Make sure I leave a large enough gap from the ground. And lower the anchor when I tell you, please?"

The skeleton girl smiled and nodded. "Sure," and then she walked over to the railing.

We began descending slowly. Eba stared at Sarah, who was gesturing for her to keep going. Then the skeleton girl raised her fist, and we stopped moving. Eba looked over the railing to gauge the distance for herself before nodding. "Thanks. Could you lower the anchor now?"

Sarah nodded and ducked belowdecks. I stared over the railing at the large stone wall before us. There were cracks in it, and vines were coming from those cracks, but it still looked as strong as anything. The number of soldiers had multiplied since we first spotted them, lined up and ready with their spears. I waved at them, and that one soldier waved back. His commanding officer once again slapped him in the back of the head.

The anchor made a loud 'clunk' sound as it hit the cold ground. A couple more soldiers wandered out through the wall's gate, followed by a large man wearing bejeweled iron armor and a golden crown. Jack groaned.

"Great. Uncle Troyel's out of his cave."

Sarah grimaced besides me. "Do you think he'll order his men on us?"

The stray sighed. "I hope not. At least not before we can warn him."

I unrolled the airship's rope ladder and turned to stare at my friends. Everyone was crowded around me on the deck. I cleared my throat.

"So... who's going first?"

Everyone exchanged unsure glances. "I think Thomas should go first," Kait finally said. "He's our leader, after all."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Don't say that. I'm nobody's leader."

Adrian took a step closer. "Yes you are. Even if you don't want to admit it, you are our leader." His words carried a heavy meaning that I couldn't quite figure out.

"Yeah," Sarah said. "The king won't feel too threatened if it's you that climbs down first."

I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The skeleton girl smiled mischievously. "Nothing. Hurry up, we're wasting time."

I sighed and began climbing down the rope ladder. "Fine..."

I turned around once I got down, and was greeted by a row of soldiers pointing at least ten deadly-looking spears at me. "Um... hi," I said as everyone started climbing down.

The king pushed his way to the front, shoving soldiers as he went. "Who are you? What is your business here in Veridon?"

I opened my mouth to explain when his gaze flicked away from me. His eyes widened before narrowing, filled with naked hatred. "You," he growled. How dare you come back, murderer?"

I looked over my shoulder to see Jack going down the rope. The stray hopped onto the ground and stood beside me. He looked unfazed by the king's coldness. "Nice to see you too unc."

The king turned around and barked at the soldiers. "Arrest him!"

We crowded around Jack protectively when the soldiers moved closer. The stray looked uncomfortable but didn't move. I raised both my hands. "Woah, woah, wait! There's no need to do any arresting!"

The king growled. "Clearly you are unaware of what this boy has done."

Adrian took a step forwards. "We do, king Troyel."

The big man scoffed. "Oh really? What sob story did he sell you, hmm?"

Jack nudged everyone gently out of his way and stood in front of the king. "I told them the truth, uncle."

The king glared at the stray. "Which truth, Jack? What did you tell them? That you poisoned your own brother just so you could become the only heir to my throne?"

Jack's hands curled into fists, but his voice remained even. "I didn't poison Cole. He killed himself."

The king scoffed again. "Why would he? Cole had everything he would have ever wanted!"

"Exactly." The stray's voice trembled just a little. "You gave him everything. You spoiled him beyond belief. He became such a twisted, entitled dumbass who was only after booze and ass. One day, he got bored, and just for the fun of it, decided that drinking poisoned wine was a good idea."

"And you didn't think of trying to stop him, did you?" The king took a step closer to Jack. "It suited you to let him commit suicide, didn't it?"

Jack's knuckles turned white, and he spoke through clenched teeth. "You don't think I tried?"

His mouth tightened. "You don't think my retard of a brother mattered to me?" he said, his voice rising to a shout. "I tried so, so hard to convince him not to kill himself, but he wouldn't listen!"

The stray turned around and backed off. There were tears forming in the edges of his closed eyes. He spoke again after a while. "Do you want to know the last thing he said to me, uncle?"

The king looked surprised at Jack's words, despite his poker face. The stray continued talking, not waiting for a response. "His dying words? You wanna know, unc?"

The stray whirled around, tears now streaming down his face. "He said to me 'fuck you'. _Fuck you_. His last... _fucking_ words were _fuck you_!"

The king took a step back, but Jack just walked closer. "That was the last damn thing that idiot said! Fuck you! But guess fucking what, uncle?"

The stray drew in a shuddering breath and sighed. His shoulders slumped, and he hung his head. "It still hurt to see him go. Because I loved him. No matter how... how many times he pushed me into the mud, how many times he punched me hard enough to see stars, I still loved him. Because he was my brother."

He took a step back. "I felt hollow the whole time I spent running away. Haunted by the memory of his death. It was awful," he whispered.

The king blinked, but he didn't soften one bit. "Then why did you run away, instead of telling me the truth?"

Jack looked up with saddened eyes. "Because you would never listen to me. You barely paid any attention to me anyway."

The king scoffed again. "Of course. I think your story is full of shit, Jack."

He turned around to face the other man with bejeweled armor. "Have your men arrest him, General Anderson."

The man bowed. "Of course, your highness."

We drew our weapons as the soldiers began walking towards us. Kaitlin stepped back, looking surprised and frustrated. Sarah stood beside me, glaring at the soldiers.

"Leave him alone!"

The king glared back, drawing his own weapon from its sheath. "If you won't come quietly, then we will take you in by force."

Lila drew four of her shurikens, holding them all in one drawn-back hand. "Do your worst," she growled.

The king scowled at us. "Charge!" he ordered, raising his sword.

The soldiers ran forward, and we got ready to fend them off.

"Stop it! Enough!"

A burst of flame erupted beside me, and Kaitlin ran to the front. "Darkness is coming, and he'll wipe everyone out if we don't work together!"

Her fire died out as she took a couple deep breaths. "Please," she begged. "You need to listen to us. To Jack."

The king's poker face wasn't enough to hide his surprise. "You're a blaze."

The blaze princess nodded. "Yes I am. I escaped from Darkness with the help of my friends. We spotted his troops on our way here. Please, just... hear us out."

The king considered her words for a moment before gesturing for the soldiers to stand down. After a while, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Kaitlin!"

Everyone froze as a new voice rang out from the other side of the wall. I could see by their spars that the soldiers were hurriedly moving out of somebody's way. "Kaitlin!" they called again.

The blaze princess broke into a tearful smile and ran forward. "Mom!"

The king stepped out of the way just in time to avoid getting barreled over by a dark-haired woman. She ran to ,eat Kaitlin and hugged her tightly, tears streaming down her olive-skinned cheeks.

"Oh, my dear baby... you're safe."

"Mom! Thank the lords you're okay!"

She started sobbing heavily, embracing the woman tighter. She was crying too.

"No, don't cry, nether-plum. I'm here now, it's fine. We're okay. We're okay."

It took them a moment to compose themselves, but they didn't stand apart. A dark-haired man with similar olive skin walked forwards, panting heavily and apologizing to the soldiers.

Kaitlin looked up and smiled. "Theridas!"

The man smiled back and waved weakly. "Hello, Princess. It's good to see you again."

The woman sighed and pulled away from Kait just enough to look her in the eye. "Are you okay? How have you been? Where have you been living?"

Kaitlin, still smiling, wiped a couple tears from her face. "With them." She gestured towards us. "Thomas helped me leave the nether. They fed me, and protected me, and gave me shelter. They're my friends."

The woman smiled at us. "Thank you so much for helping my daughter. The nether-bound blaze clan is in your debt."

I took a step forward. "It was a pleasure to help Kaitlin. You're the queen, I presume?"

"Yes. My name is Anastasia. This." She gestured at the man. He worked dark clothing, and a rather fancy-looking cloak. "Is Theridas, my royal servant."

The man was just about to speak when somebody else pushed their way to the front. It was another woman, holding a young girl in her arms. Theridas smiled awkwardly at her. Queen Anastasia's smile widened. "And these are Pepper and Ella."

The copper-haired woman set the little white-haired girl down before punching the man in the shoulder playfully.. "Next time you leave me behind love, I swear, I will kick your ass."

Kaitlin giggled. "I didn't think you were into strong girls, Theridas."

The man stuttered, his cheeks tinged with red. "B-well, I um, uh-"

The king huffed, walking around them. "Good to know everyone is acquainted," he said dryly. "Now, What is so important that you had to come back, Jack?"

The stray frowned thoughtfully for a second. "I think it's best I show you, unc." He turned around. "Eba, do you think you could fire up the airship?"

The endergirl looked a bit surprised. "Of course."

I frowned at Jack. "I don't think you should get close. What if they try to shoot you down?"

The stray gestured for the king to follow him, already walking to the rope ladder. "We don't need to get close. We just need to get high up."

I watched them climb up the ladder before following them. Eba warped onto the deck and walked downstairs tor wise the anchor. Once that was done, she warped to the wheel and began moving levers. The ship rose slowly, and soon our line of sight expanded beyond the rolling hills of the moors. The large mass of monsters was moving towards us at a snail's pace.

The king tensed beside me and Jack. "So it's true. There is a monster army..."

Jack stared at him. "Did you know?"

The large man nodded. "Lady Anastasia tried to warn me. But I was too stubborn to listen."

Jack nodded and turned back to the moor. "We have just under a week before they arrive."

The king sighed. "That's too little time."

"Can't your army defend the city?" I asked.

The king growled. "Of course. But we don't have nearly enough time to mobilize the entirety of it."

"We could ask the spiders and endermen to help," Jack offered, motioning for Eba to lower the ship. "They're always willing."

The king scratched his short scruffy beard. "The creepers too, I suppose. We could ask for their help. But we'd need a battle plan."

I sighed. "Simon would know what to do."

Jack shrugged. "But he's not here right now. So we're just gonna have to roll with it."

He turned around once we touched the ground, gesturing for us to follow. "Come on, unc. Let's get your armies ready."

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Author's Notes

Hoo-boy, this was a doozy. There was smiling, and crying, sadness, and her and relief. Just an emotional rollercoaster, huh? :P

Everyone's getting ready for battle. Simon, Izabell and Valory are having issues with a storm, Darkness is just about to knock on the king's door and there's not enough time to set up proper defenses. What's gonna happen next?

Thank you all so much for you time and patience. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	60. Preparations

Author's Notes

I am apologizing yet again for taking so long to publish a chapter. My bad. :I

Review! (Cuz there's just one) :P

ThinMint, heh, don't beat yourself up over that. :P Actually, I did know that. Spider silk is stronger than steel wire. Yay, mother and daughter reunited at last! :D Yeah, it's going to be tough. Simon, Z and Val might arrive sooner than you predicted, though. Thank you for the support!

And now, let's get on with the story!

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Darkness's POV

I smiled at the wide expanse of green and white that is the moor. Off in the distance was my target. Veridon City. I felt giddy, like a child that was just promised he'd be receiving a treat. I elbowed my Demonaut General. "Do you see that? We're almost there."

"Indeed. We will arrive in approximately five days, my liegé."

"Fantastic."

"Also, lord Darkness, when shall we bring the nether monsters back?"

I had already considered every aspect of our attack, and would have an answer to any questions my generals asked. "Just before the attack, General. We'll give the people a nasty surprise."

The monster nodded and continued waving my troops forward. I summoned my enchanted weapon, twirling it around as a dagger in my hand. Then something caught my eye. A large oval shape peeked over the massive stone wall. I pointed it out to my general. The wither skeleton frowned. "That looks like a balloon of some kind, right?"

"Do you think it's your brother?"

I scoffed. "He may be the son of the sun, but he's not that bright. I doubt he built that."

He straightened his armor nervously. "And... what about the creeper?"

"The creeper?"

"The one that defeated your shadow."

"Ah. That creeper." I thought about this for a second. "Perhaps."

The monster looked worried. "Does that mean that your brother beat us to Veridon?"

I nodded. "It might."

We stood in silence for a while. Then I turned around and started walking with my troops. "The plan has not changed, General. My victory is assured. My brother's pretense will, at most, set us back an hour. Make sure your division doesn't step out of line."

Inside I was fuming. _You seem to really like getting under my feet, don't you brother? You're supposed to be unaware of the attack. Or, better yet, dead! I swear to the ancient lords of evil that you will perish under my hand. I will plunge my dagger into your neck and gut you like a fish!_

_The ground will shatter, the mountains will crack, the sky will rumble with the force of a thousand explosives, and I will grind you beneath my heel as_ _ruler of all._

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Thomas's POV

The king led all of us into the city and towards his castle. We traveled through mostly empty pathways, the only people there being soldiers with bows and spears. Jack and I walked right behind the king since the soldiers didn't allow us to come any closer. So far we hadn't spoken much, and the man named Anderson kept saying that we'd get the chance to do so at the castle.

So we walked after king Troyel and his men in silence. Kaitlin followed us from a distance, taking the opportunity to get reacquainted with her family. We walked the streets for a little while. Most of them were blocked by more soldiers, allowing us to travel without interruption. It only took us about a half hour to reach the castle.

The building was... pretty big. At least three stories tall with towers double that height, made out of light-grey stone or concrete. There were many windows dotted in patterns all over the walls. The gate was similar to the wall's gate, but it was in much better conditions and a little smaller. We stopped in front of the gate, and one of the soldiers escorting us walked forward, searching for a specific key on a ring.

We waited for some time while the soldier fumbled with the keys before Anderson finally sighed. The general walked up to the soldier. "For the lords' sake, Church, What is taking you so damn long?"

I recognized the soldier when he turned around. It was that same one who kept asking questions earlier, and had waved back. He had a worried and apologetic expression as he answered. "Well, I can't seem to find the right key, General. And I've tried them all."

Anderson groaned and took the keys from the soldier, quickly opening the lock on the gate. The general ushered us through. I heard him say something before they were out of earshot. "I think we need to discuss your recent lack of competence, private."

The king and his men led us down a long hallway. The king suddenly raised his hand and we stopped. "Give each of them their own quarters. Bring them to the war room in two hours. I will have assembled the other monarchs by then."

One of the soldiers bowed. "Of course, your highness. Shall one of us escort you?"

The king shook his head. "There is no need for that, soldier."

Queen Anastasia took a step forwards. "King Troyel, should I take my companions and daughter back to our apartment?"

"Of course not," he replied politely. "You will also be given a room. It's best if you remain close."

The blaze queen nodded and backed up a little. We were then led down an adjacent hall that branched out of the main one. We walked up some curved stairs and ended up at yet another hallway. The soldier gestured at it. "There are five rooms in this branch. If you need more, we could split you up and have some of you on the opposite branch."

We exchanged looks with each other. Sarah discreetly took my hand in hers. "That's okay. We can just pair up."

The soldier shrugged. "Suit yourselves. I'll be right out here if you were to need anything."

We thanked him and started walking towards the rooms, discussing who would bunk with who. Jack ended up being the only one who had a room to himself. Lila would share with Adrian, Kaitlin with her mom, Theridas with Pepper and Ella. Sarah simply stated that she'd be sharing a room with me, giving the rest of us that 'no point in arguing' stare she sometimes made.

So we exchanged farewells and entered our 'quarters'. The rooms were easily bigger than what our living room back at the house had been. It had a kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. Sarah sat on one of the couches and I flopped down beside her. We stayed quiet for some time before the skeleton girl crossed her arms. "What's wrong, Tom? You look kind of down."

I sighed and sat straight. "It's nothing, Sarah."

She frowned at me. "Come one, Tom. I've lived with you and the rest of our friends to know when something's bothering them. Spill it."

I placed my head on my hands. "I'm just... pretty stressed right now. Because of everything that's happening. I fell... lost. Like I don't know what to do."

Sarah placed a comforting hand on my back. "You don't need to know what to do. The kings and queens will take care of that. We're just messengers."

I turned my head to look her in the eye. "But we're not going to just sit around and watch, are we? We've got to help."

The skeleton girl smiled faintly. "Of course we'll help. But it's not our place to know what's gonna happen. The king will probably make us join a patrol, and we'll end up fighting along the warfront. Or maybe defending the people in the city."

I sighed again. "Yeah, maybe. I just... feel like I should be doing more. Simon would probably know what to do."

Sarah huffed and shook her head. "It doesn't matter what Simon would do. That creeper decided to play hero and now we're down three friends. All we have to do, Tom, is listen to the king and his generals. Everything will be alright."

I looked at her once again. "Are you sure?"

Before she could speak, we heard a knock on our door. Adrian poked his head in. The wither skeleton had seemed pretty distant since he got over the poison incident. But now he was... back to normal. "Thomas? A-and Sarah."

We both stood up and walked up to him. "What's wrong?"

Adrian wrung his hands together. "We need to talk. There's something I must tell you. All of you."

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Simon's POV

I turned the wheel two degrees to the left and lowered the ship by a factor of ten feet. Heaving a sigh, I pushed the engine power lever forward. The mechanism groaned from the effort but stayed strong. We had eventually escaped the thunderstorm after what felt like an hour but was likely no more than 15 minutes. The next actual hour was spent making sure the airship didn't fall apart.

I took a step back and walked over to Valory, who was repairing the last busted rope that attached us to the balloon. "Great work, Val."

"Thanks." The spider stuck her tongue out as she tied one last knot. "They should hold until we arrive."

I nodded, looking at the emerald plains at the edge of the forest we were currently flying over. I could just barely see a grey smudge in the distance that was Veridon City's famous wall. "It shouldn't be long now. Perhaps another hour."

Valory stepped back, rubbing her sore hands. "Thank the lords. Can't you make this thing go any faster?"

I crossed my arms, feeling a tad insulted. "Of course I can. If only we hadn't just traveled through a storm cloud which damaged most of the mechanisms inside. Redstone doesn't react well with water, so I had to do some very quick and honestly shameful rewiring downstairs for us to stay afloat. If you want us to go faster, why don't you bring me 17 redstone dust piles, four repeaters and two redstone torches?"

The spider raised her hands and took a step back. "Sorry. A simple no would've been fine."

I sighed and combed my hand through my hair. "I'm sorry too. Shouldn't have snapped."

Izabell came up the stairs right then. I smiled at the slime girl. "Hey. How's our 'friend' doing?"

She shook her head, walking towards us. "What are we going to do with him?" She looked a little nervous as she spoke. "You're not gonna kill him, are you?"

I blinked at her. "Of course not. I... regret what happened to the other pillagers, but there was nothing else we could do. They would have killed us if we hadn't."

Izabell nodded, looking glum. "He didn't want the food, but I left it there for him anyway. And he didn't say anything, just looked at me with murderous eyes."

I hugged the slime girl tightly. "It's okay, Z. He'll eat when he feels up for it."

Valory tilted her head. "What are we gonna do with him?"

I walked over to the front of the ship, looking over the railing. "Once we reach Veridon, they'll probably put him in jail."

The spider nodded. "Ah. So nothing."

"Pretty much," I answered her.

Izabell joined me at the edge of the ship, staring at the horizon. "Look at that," she murmured, pointing at something to our left.

I followed her gaze to a large snow-covered mountain that looked to have been split in half. It was a magnificent sight. "Yeah. That's something you don't see every day."

"It looks like there's a bridge between both sides," she commented.

I nodded, seeing what she was talking about. "You're right. I wonder who built that."

"And why," she added.

We continued watching the landscape as it changed beneath us. The dense forests became sparse, and rolling hills emerged from out of nowhere. It had been very stressful to pilot the airship through the thunderstorm. Ropes had begun to snap, water had filtered into the redstone mechanisms and the pillager that we had 'captured' had tried numerous times to jump overboard.

Valory got to work on repairing the ropes quickly, but for every one she re-tied with string two more would pop. I had run belowdecks to fix the mechanical internals only to be knocked to the ground by a very angry grey-skinned man. Luckily, Z had been nearby and together we had sort of caged the man with crates and chests in one of the corners. I had left her in charge of him and started fixing the mechanisms.

Thunder was booming the whole time, and the deafening sound of rain battering the side of the ship like a thousand blows rang in our ears. Because of the cold, we began loosing altitude rapidly. We started bumping into trees and scraping the bottom of the airship against small mountains. All in all, these were not the ideal conditions for working with very fragile and often fussy redstone circuits.

But we made it. Eventually the booming stopped, and the loudest sound was that of silence. I felt dizzy and cross eyed from having to fix the redstone in the dark while water seeped through the floorboards. I had taken a short breather before heading back upstairs and regaining control of the airship. The ropes that Val had been fixing were stretched thin, but the spider didn't stop. She had been out here in the middle of the storm repairing busted ropes so we didn't fall to our deaths.

I quickly found out the extent of the damage we had suffered. The rear propeller was missing two of six blades, the wheel turned grudgingly, the main engine was soaked thoroughly so we couldn't ascend right away, and we had lost most of our railing and paint. But the ship trudged on despite the missing and broken pieces.

"Guys. Guys!"

Valory's voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I looked over Z's shoudler at the spider. She looked frightened and was pointing at the ground directly underneath the ship. "Look."

We stood beside Val and followed her gaze. Izabell let out a small gasp. I closed my eyes and sighed. Right beneath us was a mass of marching monsters trudging through the plains. There were creepers, skeletons, endermen, even zombie pigmen. And they were headed straight for Veridon. We were passing above the first few thousand, and could see who was at the head of them all.

Darkness walked, surrounded by four armored wither skeletons and a blaze woman, with an air of pride and certainty. "That's him," I told the girls. "That's Darkness."

Izabell looked over my shoulder, not wanting to get any closer to the edge. "Really? He... he doesn't look too demon-ish."

Val crossed her arms, frowning at the man below. "That's because you haven't seen his face."

Suddenly the whole army stopped. The blaze woman whispered a few words into Darkness's ear, who turned around. The demon stared right at us from the ground. Izabell squeaked breathlessly and hid behind me. I shielded the slime girl with my body from Darkness's jet-black stare.

The demon smiled maliciously. Black flames appeared in his hands, and they became a dark bow and arrow. He drew back the string and fired. I pushed Izabell back to keep her safe, even though the arrow had only hit the side of the airship. All of the skeletons in the army's ranks drew their bows, aiming them at us. Darkness waved at them.

"No, no, no. Not yet. Let that serve them as a warning. Troops!" All the monster roared into the sky. "March!" The army roared a second time and began walking towards Veridon once again. Darkness stared at us as he walked. Stared at me.

I ran to the wheel and veered us away, out of range. Izabell looked terrified. "There was so many of them. What are we going to do?"

"What do you mean what are we going to do?" Val answered. "There's nothing else to do but fight."

"We can't take on so many monsters! Not even with the skeleton king's troops!"

"So what do you suggest we d-"

"We're going to Veridon," I interrupted them. "And then we'll figure out what to do. I'm sure Thomas managed to convince king Troyel of the threat somehow. And I know that the king isn't stupid. He'll probably ask for help from the endermen and spiders. That would equal the army sizes somewhat, giving us a fighting chance."

I stared at the moors and the castle in the distance. "We can do this guys. Don't worry, we'll find a way out of this storm."

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Jack's POV

We all gathered around the table in Adrian and Lila's room, waiting for the wither skeleton to share whatever it was that seemed so important. He was pacing beside the far wall, speaking in hushed voices with Lila. Eventually the cave spider grabbed Adrian's arm, rooting him in place. She murmured something in his ear, and the wither skeleton took a deep breath, visibly relaxing. Now more composed, he started walking towards us with Lila beside him.

"Um... I have something very very important to tell you guys," he began nervously. "I don't... know how you'll take this, so bear with me."

He looked pleadingly at Lila, as if begging for support. The cave spider demosntrated a deep breath. "Just let it out. In one go, quick and easy."

Adrian sighed and nodded, turning back to face us. "Okay, so... I... have been told... by the... enderdragon... that Thomas is an immortal being that has lived and died repeatedly for hundreds of years." The wither skeleton cringed as he spoke the last few words.

We stared at him silently, taking the time to process what he had just said. Sarah was the first to speak. The skeleton stared at Thomas, and despite her poker face I could tell that she was shocked and hurt. "Did you know?" she whispered.

"Of course not," Thomas answered. "I would have told you. This... is as much of a surprise to me as it is you."

Kaitlin raised her hand a little but. "What does it mean? That he's a spirit?"

"Are you?" Sarah asked worriedly.

Thomas looked a bit overwhelmed. "I-I don't know. I guess?"

Adrian grimaced. "It really doesn't mean much. Um... well, it does, but just... it doesn't change anything. I, uh, don't know much about this, I just know that he is supposed to kill Darkness." The wither skeleton drew his obsidian sword from the double-stacked sheath Simon had made for him. "With this."

The wither skeleton held it on both hands, one supporting the blade while the other supported the hilt, and extended it out to Thomas. "Nightsky—the enderdragon—told me to give the golden spirit this sword a long time ago. I just hadn't realized it was you."

Thomas stared at the shiny black sword for a few seconds before looking up at Adrian. "Are you sure?"

The wither skeleton smiled. "Yes. It had been my 'task' for two years, but I've finally finished it."

Our friend stared at the weapon for a moment longer before picking it up slowly. A flash of sunlight passed through the blade from the tip down to the hilt. Thomas blinked and put it down gently. Kaitlin put her head on her palms. "How long have you been talking to the enderdragon?"

Adrian rubbed his arm. "Well, I haven't been talking to her exactly, but I had a couple dreams where we did speak, and I would hear her voice in my head a few rare sometimes. For two years."

The blaze princess nodded. I frowned, processing something. "You said that Thomas was supposed to kill Darkness."

Adrian exchanged a glance with Lila. "Uh... yeah. From what Nightsky told me, the only reason Thomas was, uh... 'born' to begin with was to fight Darkness. He's the only one who can kill him."

I got up. "We need to tell the king. That's vital information!"

The wither skeleton backed up a little. "But we're supposed to talk with him anyway, right? In a couple hours."

I sat back down. "Right. But my uncle won't like that we didn't tell him to begin with."

Thomas combed his fingers through his hair. "So only I can kill Darkness. And only with the sword?"

Adrian shrugged. "I guess. I really don't know much about this."

Sarah inched closer to Thomas, holding his hand in her own tightly. "Is there anything else you had to tell us?"

The wither skeleton furrowed his brow thoughtfully. "I don't... think so. No."

She sighed and got up, pulling Thomas with her. "We need to talk about this privately," she said, already dragging him by the hand to the door.

Everyone else started filing out of the room after they'd left, and then it was just Adrian, Lila, and me. I could feel them gazing uncomfortably at me as I stared out the window. "Was that really everything you wanted to say, Adrian?" I asked quietly.

"Yes. At least, I think so," he replied.

I nodded and got up, heading towards the door. "Be ready for when my uncle comes. He doesn't like having to wait for somebody else."

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Time leap; 1 hour and 12 minutes. King Troyel's private chambers. Third person POV.

The king sat at a small round table, reading letters sent by the three other monarchs he'd asked for help. They had all agreed without hesitation, knowing that Troyel was not one to be fooled easily. If he believed this threat was true, then that was because it is.

A knock was heard on the large wooden door of the king's private chambers. The man sighed and looked up from the letters. "Come in."

A young soldier pushed open the door, standing straight before the king. "Good afternoon, your highness.

The king nodded, getting up from the chair. "Good afternoon, Church. What happened?"

The private scratched his head after taking off the helmet he'd been wearing. "Nnothing's really happened my lord, but... well, General Anderson sent me to tell you that another one of those boat things the newcomers came from has arrived at the wall."

King Troyel frowned. "Another one?"

"Yes," Private Church confirmed. "Four people we onboard. Three teenagers, a slime girl, a creeper boy and a spider, as well as a pillager. The man was accused of assault by the teens, and has been taken to the closest pod for questioning."

The king scratched his short beard. "Perhaps they're friends of Jack's. Have them sent to the castle, and give them their own rooms too, and inform My nephew of their arrival. Tell them to freshen up before the meeting. The king and queens will be here sooner than expected."

The soldier bowed. "Of course, your highness. Anything else?"

The king waved him away. "No. I do believe that is all. Thank you, Private Church."

The young private nodded, walking off with a slight spring in his step. The king shook his head and went back to reading the letters. "Anderson really needs to straighten that one..."

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Thomas's POV

I lay down sprawled over the couch in mine and Sarah's room. The skeleton girl had kept a slight distance after a short chat we had about the whole... 'turns out I'm some sort of spirit' thing. It was quite a lot to take in, but some things had actually started making sense.

For one, that nightmare I had some time ago, where I died after a fire, had not been a dream. And it explained why wielding Adrian's sword had felt so right during the battle with the enderman. Actually, maybe I died then. Maybe that's why I was in the white room. But then again, I hadn't felt like I died the first time I was there...

I sighed, feeling tired and overwhelmed. This revelation brought up more questions than answers. Sarah looked up from where she was sitting. It seemed like she was about to say something, but decided against it and hung her head again. The fact that she wasn't speaking to me hurt more than knowing that I was immortal and had died many times over. Knowing that I had a massive responsibility on my shoulders; to kill Darkness.

A knock on our door made me jump. Sarah got up and opened the door. That same soldier from earlier, the one who had fumbled with the keys, poked his head in. "Good afternoon. I have a message from the king himself."

I got up too and stood beside Sarah. "Hey. What is it?"

The soldier stood a little straighter. "King Troyel asks for you to make yourselves presentable. The monarchs will be arriving sooner than anticipated, within 20 minutes. I'll be coming back to collect you. Also, we believe that three of your friends arrived a quarter of an hour ago. They have been given the same message."

Sarah and I exchanged a look. "Do you think it's Simon?" I asked her.

"It must be," the skeleton answered excitedly. "And Izabell and Val. Who else?"

I nodded and turned back to the soldier. "Thanks for the heads-up. I'm Thomas," I said, extending an open palm out to him.

"Private Church," he answered, taking my hand and shaking it. "Now, I really need to get going. Commander Anderson wanted me to do something else." Then he dashed away.

We closed the door and stared at it for a little while. "I didn't think..." Sarah began. "I mean, I hoped, but... Simon's alive."

"Yeah," I answered incredulously. "Looks like Izabell was right."

The skeleton girl tucked her long inky black hair behind her ears. "I guess need to take a bath. What are we going to wear?"

"Um..." I wandered into the bedroom and opened the closet. It had many different clothing items, of varying sizes. "I'm sure we can find something in here that fits," I told her.

The skeleton poked her head in and started looking over the few dresses and girl clothes. "I like this one," she murmured, bringing out a light-grey jersey. "And I'll take... this," she continued, taking a pair of denim shorts off their hanger.

I picked out my own clothes—a simple cyan t-shirt and some jeans—and we both headed towards the bathroom. We stopped in front of the closed door. "I guess we need to decide who goes first," I told Sarah.

"I am," she answered quickly, pushing me playfully out of the way and reaching for the doorknob.

"Hey!" I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back before she could open the door.

The skeleton girl smiled at me, making me feel warm and fuzzy before she spun out of my grasp and pushed me backwards, making me lose my balance and land flat on my bottom.

"I called dibs," she said between giggles, entering the bathroom and locking the door.

I got up and knocked on the door, feeling my own smile crawl on my face. "That's not fair!"

"I got here first, that makes it fair!" She exclaimed from the other side.

I chuckled and turned around to lean against the door. "Just don't take too long. We need to be ready in twenty!"

"Ooh, look at all these soaps and things in here!" the skeleton girl shouted from the other side. "I think I'm going to test all of them! Would be a shame not to!"

"Nooo," I moaned dramatically. "We need to hurry!"

Sarah giggled from inside. "Okay, Okay, you win. I'll be ready in ten minutes."

"Better be ready sooner!" I told her. The sound of running water drowned out my words. I sighed and shook my head, smiling. "Can't not love her," I muttered, walking over to sit on the couch.

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Time leap; 23 minutes. Skeleton Castle War room. Third person POV

King Troyel sat in his chair at the large map-table in the war room, waiting expectantly for the other monarchs to arrive. Two pairs of soldiers were stationed at both doors that led into the room. Eventually, a series of knocks was heard at the first door. One of the soldiers, General Anderson, nodded at the other, General Griffin.

Griffin cleared his throat. "Introducing her magesty Queen Cassidy of the Enderman clan."

Both soldiers pulled open the doors and bowed, letting a tall pale woman through. The enderwoman wore a long black robe with purple accents, as well as a silver crown with violet gemstones atop her long deep purple hair. She smiled at the king, who got up and took off his crown as a sign of respect, holding it with one hand at his side. "Good afternoon, Troyel."

The king nodded. "If only it were good, Cassidy. I'm not surprised that you arrived first."

The Queen shook her head, still smiling. "While teleporting is reserved for emergencies usually, I deemed it necessary due to you message."

"And I am glad you did," the king answered.

General Griffin cleared his throat again. "Introducing his magesty King Adam of the creeper clan."

A man dressed in a dark-green cloak with brown trim and pants walked into the room. He had dark-brown hair, green eyes and a golden crown with emeralds imbedded in it. The creeper nodded at both of his fellow monarchs. "Afternoon lady Cassidy, king Troyel."

The enderwoman nodded back, smiling faintly. "Hello, Adam."

"I'm glad you could meet us in such short notice," Troyel said.

The creeper smiled. "Your message stressed the importance of our arrival, and you know I never turn down a call for help."

Griffin cleared his throat a third time, and coughed due to it. He spoke after regaining his composure. "Introducing her magesty Queen June of the spider clan."

Another woman walked in. She was also wearing a robe like the enderman Queen, though hers was much longer. It trailed behind the spider as she walked. A pendant with a red gemstone hung from her neck. She had black hair, red eyes, and wore a silver tiara with a single red cristal in the middle.

The spider queen bowed before the other monarchs. "I came as fast as I could, Troyel."

The king smiled at her. "Thank you, June. I am glad that all of you are here."

King Adam walked up to the table and placed his hands on top of it. "Shall we begin? What is this threat you fear so much?"

The skeleton king raised an open hand. "Not yet, Adam. We need to wait for the rest."

Queen Cassidy frowned. "Who else did you send for?"

"Only you three," King Troyel assured, "but there are a few more people who will help with the planning."

As if on cue, more people started streaming in from the first door, with Lady Anastasia at the head, Kaitlin and Theridas beside her. They stopped before the king. Thomas, Jack, Sarah, Lila, Adrian, and Eba stood before the monarchs.

Lady June frowned. "Who are these people, Troyel?"

"This." the skeleton king gestured at the ex-Queen. "Is Lady Anastasia, Princess Kaitlin, and their royal servant Theridas from the nether-bound blaze clan. The young men and women behind them are my nephew Jack and a few of his friends. They have witnessed the threat firsthand."

One of the soldiers stationed at the second door, General Solomon, coughed to get the king's attention. "My lord, it appears that the rest of Prince Jack's friends have arrived."

King Troyel nodded. "Send them in, please."

General Solomon nodded and pulled open the door. Simon, Izabell and Valory walked in. The rest of the gang called their names joyously and crowded around them, exchanging hugs and relieved words.

Queen Cassidy walked over and leaned closer to the skeleton king, whispering in his ear. "Why are these children here, king Troyel?"

"I told you," he replied politely. "They witnessed the threat firsthand. The information they can share is invaluable."

The enderwoman nodded and stood straighter. After a few moments had passed, King Adam cleared his throat. "Forgive me for interrupting your apparent re-acquaintance, but we really must get on with the meeting."

Lady Anastasia nodded. "Of course." She whispered into Kaitlin's ear. "Please tell your friends to remain quiet unless they are told to speak, okay?"

"Alright, Mom," the blaze princess answered. She whispered the message to Thomas, who shared it with everyone else.

King Troyel nodded and got up from his chair. "Close the doors please, generals. We must not be disturbed."

The four soldiers at the doors nodded and closed them after leaving the room. The skeleton king stared at the other monarchs. "I suppose I must share with you what I know."

Queen June nodded. "First of all, what's the threat?"

"The threat," Troyel began with a sigh. "Is a massive monster army heading straight towards Veridon from the east."

Lady Cassidy bent down to lean on the table with her shoulders. "We can handle monsters, Troyel."

The skeleton king shook his head. "I saw the threat with my own eyes. There was at least three thousand monsters of different kinds."

"Actually," Simon objected from the back, walking up to the map-table. "There was many more than that. At least five thousand."

Lady June crossed her arms and stared at king Troyel. "Are we going to be listening to children now, Troyel?"

"As I mentioned, these young people have information about the threat nobody else does. They were caught in the crossfire by the looks of things."

Theridas timidly raised his hand. "My lords, if I may."

The four monarchs in the room turned to stare at him curiously. The blaze hesitated, and Pepper placed an encouraging hand on his shoulder. Theridas smiled at her and turned back to speak to the monarchs. "It's not just monsters."

King Troyel nodded. "Lady Anastasia and Theridas warned me of this as well. Go on," he told Theridas, gesturing for him to continue.

The blaze nodded and straightened his cloak. "A few months ago, a demon took over the entirety of the nether realm," he began.

"That's impossible," Lady Cassidy exclaimed. "There has never been a demon capable of such things since the beginning of time! How did a single one overtake four kingdoms in so little time without us knowing about it?"

Lady Anastasia took a step forwards. "This is no ordinary demon. He calls himself Darkness. Darkness systematically eliminated all of the nether-bound clans' monarchs. King Ronald of the zombie pigmen, king Taran of the magma cubes, Queen Lidia of the ghasts, and..." The blaze woman's voice cracked a little. "King Fergus of the blazes. My husband."

Lady June walked over and held Lady Anastasia's hand, staring sympathetically at her. "I'm very sorry to hear that."

King Troyel nodded. "We all are."

The blaze woman took a deep breath. "Thank you. But you must believe me when I say that Darkness is very dangerous. Theridas knows more about this than I do, however."

"Yes," the man agreed. "I was Darkness's royal servant before Lady Anastasia, Ella and I escaped. I know almost everything about Darkness's army."

"Very well, Theridas," King Adam said, beckoning him to the map-table. "What are we dealing with?"

The blaze took a few steps closer, next to Simon who apparently refused to go back in line with his friends. "Both of you were wrong, no offense King Troyel."

"None taken," the skeleton king said. Simon grunted.

Theridas ignored him. "There are about _eleven thousand_ monsters in his army, split in four divisions. The Argonauts, basic infantry, which consist of zombie pigmen and skeletons. The Necroauts, strategic brawlers, which consist of endermen, wither skeletons and spiders. The Poisonauts, skirmirmishers, which consist of cave spiders, strays, and husks. Lastly, the Demonauts. This division consists of creepers, ghasts and blazes. There are one thousand of each kind of monster."

King Troyel put on a poker face. King Adam let out a long huff and hung his head. "This will not be easy, Troyel."

"There has never been such a large quantity of hostile monsters in the history of all the clans," Lady June added. "What are we going to do?"

"We're going to fight," Lady Cassidy said proudly. "We will not abandon a fellow monarch. These monsters are just like the countless others we've defended ourselves from. We just need a solid strategy to take them down."

King Adam leaned on the table with his shoulders. "Anything else we need to know, Theridas?"

The blaze nodded. "Yes. All of the monsters are heavily armored, and that slows them down. There are four generals, one for each division. Darkness chose ten captains for every kind of monster. They control ninety-nine monsters each, and are controlled by the four generals. If we take them and the captains out, the rest of the monsters will most likely cease to follow commands and then flee."

"Most likely?" King Adam said incredulously.

"It's the best chance we have," Lady June pointed out.

The creeper king sighed. "Right. What about Darkness? The big man himself? Why don't we kill him?"

"We could," Theridas said. "But he's no fool. He'll probably be at the back of his armies. So we need to think of a way to get closer."

Adrian cleared his throat and took a step forwards. "It's not that simple. Darkness isn't an ordinary demon. Only one person can kill him." The wither skeleton turned around and pointed at Thomas. "Him."

King Troyel frowned. "I was not told about this."

Adrian nodded. "Only I knew. The enderdragon herself told me."

Lady Cassidy stared incredulously at the wither skeleton. "Nightsky spoke with you?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "She tasked me two years ago to find the golden spirit and deliver an enchanted sword. Only Thomas can kill darkness, and only with that weapon."

"And why would we believe such a thing?" Lady June asked. "Are you cahoots with that demon?"

Adrian looked taken aback. "No. Of course not." His gaze locked on to the skeleton king. "You have to believe me. Have I ever lied, your highness?"

King Troyel stared at him for a while before sighing. "No. He's always been a trustworthy soldier."

King Adam combed his hair back with his hand. "This will certainly be difficult. So we need to get the boy close to Darkness so he can finally end that demon."

Simon, who had been carefully inspecting the map-table, spoke up again. "I have an idea."

Everyone stared at the creeper boy. The monarchs exchanged glances with each other. "I suppose there's no harm in asking," Lady June muttered. "What is your idea?"

The creeper boy pointed at the green expanse on the map to the east of the castle. "This is where we last saw Darkness's troops. We should focus most of the armies here, and leave part of them inside the city. We should have at least ten patrols on the eastern front, two of which will help escort Thomas through the masses of monsters and to Darkness."

"The endermen will most likely attempt to wreak havoc on the streets," Lady Cassidy commented. "I volunteer to stay in the city, along with three of my patrols, to defend it."

"I can lend one patrol to stay in the city," Adam said. Lady June nodded. "So can I."

The skeleton king smiled appreciatively. "Thank you all."

"However," King Adam began. "Even with ten patrols up front and five in the city, our chances of success seem pretty bleak."

"Yes, I thought so too," Simon told them. "But we do have few tricks up our sleeve."

The creeper boy dug through the inside pockets of his hoodie and brought out multiple folded-up pieces of paper. He opened a couple and presented them to the monarchs. "These are blueprints to many of my creations. They could give us an edge in battle."

King Adam picked up one of the blueprints and looked it over. He turned it around and showed the rest of the monarchs. "This is one of the floating boats that were stationed next to the wall, isn't it?"

The creeper boy nodded. "Yes, the _Auikyani_. The other one is the _MKII_."

Lady Cassidy took the blueprint from King Adam. "You built this? By yourself?"

Simon smiled and shook his head. "My friends and I built it in the valley where we lived. It took us four days of hard work to assemble one. I believe that, with the greater workforce of the skeleton kingdom, we could make a fleet of combat-ready airships in the time it took ten of us to build one."

The creeper boy picked out another blueprint and presented it to king Troyel. "This is the blueprint for the _Dragoon_, a third airship that we didn't bring here with us. It is much slower than the _Auikyani_, but capable of dealing and receiving much more damage."

The skeleton king nodded, inspecting the blueprint. "This will certainly give us an advantage," he commented.

Simon smiled proudly. "Now we just need to figure out the details. I will be flying the _MKII_ with Izabell and Valory." He turned around to make sure his friends were okay with this. Both girls nodded.

Eba took a step forwards. "I'll be piloting the _Auikyani_."

King Troyel scratched his short beard. "I will have some of my men accompany you onboard. General Anderson and private Church will go with... Simon, was it? General Hendershot, Private Grant, Private Carlos, and Private Gabriel will go with... what's your name, miss?"

The endergirl stood a little straighter. "Eba."

The skeleton king nodded. "My general and a few of his men will accompany you aboard the 'airship'."

King Adam wrote a few notes on a small book. "I will bring my best engineers and their teams to begin the assembly of the ships and artillery."

Simon nodded and looked at Lady June. "Your highness, the airships' balloons require the expert handiwork of spiders. Could you lend king Adam a hand?"

The spider queen nodded. "Of course. My troops will help in any way they can."

"My troops can transport materials to speed up the construction of the airships," Lady Cassidy added.

"Thank you all very much," King Troyel said appreciatively.

The monarchs, with the help of Simon and Theridas, continued to discuss the strategy. Until at last king Troyel clapped his hands. "Very well. Everybody knows their role and position, right?"

Lady Cassidy nodded. "I will inform my generals and task my best builders to transport the necessary materials."

"I'll bring my brightest engineers," King Adam said. "And some of my soldiers."

"And I will bring my troops as well as the most skilled tailors from the kingdom," Lady June added.

The skeleton king nodded. "Great. I shall inform my generals as well."

He walked over to stand in front of Thomas and his friends. "Return to your rooms and get some rest. You'll be soldiers tomorrow. One of my soldiers will escort you to my private quarters in a few days to be given orders to follow once the battle starts. Until then, feel free to explore the city."

The young men and women nodded and thanked the king before leaving. Once they were gone, Troyel made a quick reverence to the other monarchs and Lady Anastasia. "Thank you again for your assistance."

"This will be the biggest war in history," Lady June said calmly. "I would never leave you to bear the weight on your own."

Lady Cassidy nodded. "I will fight for the other clans, because I know they would do the same for mine."

"I never leave a friend to fend for himself," King Adam said with a smile.

"I am fighting for my realm," Lady Anastasia added. "And for my husband. For everything that demon put me through."

King Troyel nodded and stood a little straighter. "And I am fighting for my kingdom, and the lives at stake. May the lords grant us mercy and good will. They know we will need it."

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Author's Notes

Whew... that took some time.

I hope everyone enjoyed reading the chapter as much as I did writing it!

Thank you all so much for your time, patience, and support. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	61. Anticipation

Author's Notes

Please forgive me for taking almost a month to dish out this chapter. I was a little busy with stuff... (cough-cough, fallout 4, cough-cough)

Also, school is starting up again. So I'll probably have less time to write or do anything...

Now, Reviews!

GiggiEba, Aw Yeah! It seems you were right all along. Uhhhh... sorry I took so long to publish this one. :I

ThinMint, Well, you'll find out soon enough. Heh, as you should. Well, of course. They're both too stubborn to do otherwise. :P Thank you for the support!

And at long last, on with the story!

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Theridas's POV (Three days before war)

Being Lady Anastasia's royal servant meant that I didn't have as much free time as I would have liked. Most of my hours were spent following her and making various reports to multiple people. But I always sneaked off to meet Pepper and Ella whenever I could. It had been a day and a half since the meeting with the four monarchs, and lots of things were happening very quickly.

Lady Cassidy's endermen terraformed an area within the walls of the castle and turned it into an airfield. King Adam brought five teams of engineers to start building. Each team was tasked with building two Dragoon-class airships. So far, they have built most of the hull. There was an argument at the beginning where the engineers couldn't decide what to build the airships out of.

The creeper boy, Simon, straightened out the problem with the help of king Adam. The engineers weren't happy taking orders from a teen, but they got to work anyway. Lady June brought five patrols and her best tailors, who have already finished three of the ten balloons necessary for the airships, as well as most of the rope.

The citizens of Veridon were curious and worried due to the presence of so many soldiers. King Troyel did his best to inform the people about the threat without scaring them, and was mostly successful. Only some people seemed actually scared, some of them thought this to be a ruse, and almost everyone volunteered to join the army. None of the monarchs had expected this to happen, but they welcomed the support with open arms.

The skeleton king's soldiers set up an area near the airfield where they would train the people to be soldiers. King Jefferson of the zombie clan caught word of the attack, and offered to send a patrol and medics to assist us. The other monarchs accepted the help gladly. Jefferson's medics started training more people, teaching them first-aid, how to administer the correct amount of medicine, how to dress a wound and so on.

Princess Kaitlin's friends took part in many of the happenings. The slime girl helped the other medics-in-training, Thomas and the creeper boy assisted the engineers, prince Jack, the skeleton girl and the wither skeleton helped train more soldiers, the spider sisters helped the tailors, and the endergirl helped lady Cassidy's troops build simple barracks.

I finished informing General Darryl, one of King Adam's men, of the progress made in the construction of the airships before wandering back to Lady Anastasia. She was exchanging words with Lady June, so I waited patiently for them to finish. The ex-Queen broke off the conversation and turned to face me. "Have you made the report like I asked you, Theridas?"

I bowed, nodding. "Yes I have, milady."

Lady Anastasia smiled. "Thank you so much for your help over the years, Theridas. You may take a break."

A smile made it's way onto my face as I straightened up. "Thank you, milady. Send for me if you require any assistance."

She waved me away, still smiling. "Of course. Run along, now. I'm sure Pepper and Ella are waiting for you at the castle."

I thanked her again before turning around and walking away from the airfield and towards the castle. It's not as if I resented my royal servant duties, but I had grown used to spending entire days accompanied by Pepper. And being with little Ella was always enjoyable. I had to dodge around the many structures that the teams of engineers were working on, but once I made it to the streets, it was easy going.

Pepper had taken me through most of the city's streets many times over, so I knew how to get from point A to point B with only minor difficulty. It took me around twenty minutes, but I eventually made it to the castle gate. The soldier stationed at the gate let me through without a word, but I thanked him nonetheless.

I wandered the castle halls for a while before arriving at the room I shared with Pepper and Ella. Knocking on the door gently several times did nothing, so I very quietly opened the door. Nobody was in the living room. I quickly checked the kitchen before tip-toeing towards the bedroom. It was gloomy and dark, so it took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust.

The beautiful creeper woman and the little ghast girl were asleep, snuggled together on the large bed. I smiled at the heartwarming sight. My guess is that Ella had asked Pepper to take a nap with her, and the creeper woman had fallen asleep without intending to do so. I pulled the covers—which had been kicked to the foot of the bed—over them carefully. Pepper mumbled something unintelligible before going quiet once more, making me smile.

Ella stirred suddenly, and opened her crimson eyes a little. I cooed at the little girl, trying to get her to fall alseep again. Ella blinked twice and opened her eyes sleepily. "Theridas?"

I moved a few white strands of hair from her face. "Shh, it's okay, Ella. Go back to sleep."

The little ghast girl whimpered. "I had a bad dream."

I kissed the top of her head and knelt down beside the bed. "Don't worry. It was just a nightmare. What was it about?"

She looked at me through sad and frightened eyes. "It was the dream. The dream about you."

I tensed, not liking where this was going. "Which one?"

Chills traveled down my spine as the little ghast girl spoke. "Th-the one where... the one where you fell. Y-You fell, and no-one caught you."

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Simon's POV

I finished hammering the last wooden board onto the airship's frame. I had been helping King Adam's engineers wherever was necessary, and they weren't too happy about that. At least not the senior engineers. Some of them were okay people, but the rest are entitled pains in the ass. It was very exhausting to have to deal with them. Speaking of...

I passed by another team of engineers in the middle of a conversation. They shot me resentful looks and spoke in hushed tones. But I caught some of their words. "I still think we should be using oak..."

"Or spruce."

"Yeah. That kid doesn't know what he's talking about. Let's just swap out this birch for something better."

I heaved a sigh and walked over to them. "I know you guys don't like having to listen to a 'child'." I pointed a finger at myself. "I don't like having to order you guys around either. But it's my design-"

"Your design's flawed," one of them interrupted. "Birch is too soft. The hull needs to be strong, so we should use oak."

I tried to swallow the anger bubbling up inside me. Nobody, _nobody_, calls _my_ designs flawed. "I drew up the design. I built the airship. I took into account every variable. It has to be birch. Oak and spruce are much too heavy, and if we make the hull out of that, we won't be able to lift the cannons or crewmembers."

The other engineer frowned. "We could-"

I spoke before he could defend himself. "We'd have to ask the spiders to expand the balloons and strengthen the ropes, and I doubt they'd be happy about that. With greater mass we'd also need to increase the main engine and propeller size, otherwise we'd be moving too slow.

The first engineer opened his mouth to argue.

I crossed my arms. "That means more weight, and we'd be at a tug-of-war with the other components forever. It has to be birch. There's no other material that will work as well."

The engineer grunted and went back to inspecting the blueprint. "Birch looks terrible, though," he grumbled.

I sighed and pointed at the hull drawn on the piece of paper. "We could paint it dark-grey. And have the decks a nice auburn color."

Both engineers looked at each other. The second one nodded. "That could work."

"We could ask the spiders to dye the balloon red, and the ropes black," the other one suggested.

The second shook his head. "Nah, I think the balloon should be white. To contrast better with the hull."

I wandered off, letting them to figure out the colors. One of the teams asked me to nail some more boards, and I moved on after completing the task. I approached an engineer apprentice that was trying to straighten out a bent nail. "Hey, Benny. How are you and your team going?"

The young man smiled at me. "Alright, I think. Gambit and Hombre have been complaining about the design a little. They sent Caleb to get more nails."

I nodded, watching him struggle with the nail. "Why do you call him that? Hombre? Is that really his name?"

Benny shrugged, almost flattening his own finger with the hammer. "He's from one of those southern villages, you know? The ones that speak a different language. He can sort of speak and understand ours, but when we asked for his name, he pointed at himself and said Hombre. So that's what we call him."

The engineer in training looked at his hammer in frustration, as if he thought it was its fault that he couldn't straighten the nail. "I'm pretty sure he understands perfectly, though. That he just likes to mess with us for some reason. Cuz, despite the language barrier, he always does what Gambit asks him to do."

I took the hammer from him and pulled the nail from the board. Then I straightened it out on the small table beside him before hammering it back into place. "Well, I'm glad that he pulls his own weight. I need to check on the other teams, okay? Don't hurt yourself."

Benny nodded absently, staring at the hammer that I'd placed in his hand. I chuckled to myself and continued supervising, also helping here and there. I could hear many of the senior engineers grumbling under their breath about the design, but I chose to ignore it. Any of the teams waved me away when I offered to help too. I heaved a sigh, looking around the airfield.

"Hello!"

I looked to see Izabell standing right beside me. "Hey. Where'd you come from?"

The slime girl smiled and placed her head on my shoulder. "Freud, the head medic, let me take a break. So I walked over to be here with you. How's the building coming along?"

I shrugged. "Not great. Many of the engineers are being fussy because they don't like having to receive orders from a 'child'."

The slime girl shook her head, staring at the skeletal structures of the airships' hulls. Then she smiled and faced me once again. "Wanna go for a walk?"

I smiled back. "I'd love to."

Izabell took my hand and led me away from the airfield. We passed by a few soldiers, waving a greeting, before walking onto the snowy streets. The slime girl led me towards the large park in the center of the city. Most of it was covered in a thin layer of snow, but the path that snaked from one side to the other was clear of mostly-hardened-water.

We walked down the path side-by-side, not saying anything and enjoying the simplicity of each other's company. Eventually we stopped at a bench beneath a tall oak. A few tiny snowflakes started drifting down from the sky. I followed one with my gaze, and it landed on top of Izabell's head. Her dark-brown hair was tied in a neat, tall ponytail.

The slime girl caught me staring and smiled. I couldn't help but smile back at her. Taking her hand in mine, we turned to stare at the sky, watching the clouds chase each other on that endless blue expanse.

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Sarah's POV (Two days before war)

"Too slow. Again!"

The young man I had been assigned to teach groaned. "I can't do it any faster! And I bet you couldn't either."

I smirked at him. The move was simple; one of the first self-defense move I was taught in military school. Used in mid-to-short-ranged combat situations, it consisted of shooting an arrow and then swiping with your preferred melee weapon. In my trainee's case it was a small dagger. Quickly drawn and lightweight. Couldn't be any easier.

I took his bow and opened my hand palm-up for him to give me the dagger. The young man managed a smug face, but I could tell he was nervous. I attached the weapon in its sheath to my belt and aimed the bow at the wooden target that stood a few meters away. I nocked an arrow into the bow and pulled back the string, adjusting my aim a little up and to the left.

Then I let go of the string, and the arrow sailed forwards. Before it even hit the bullseye of the wooden target, I drew the dagger from my hip and swung outwards at an imaginary enemy. Twice. The du 'thunk' of the arrow hitting its mark made the trainee beside me jump. I unclasped the dagger's sheath from my belt and gave it back to him, along with the bow.

"Don't make bets you can't win. Try it again, ten times. Faster."

The young man stared at the weapons in his hands as if he couldn't believe what they were capable of. I patted his shoulder twice before heading off to watch the other soldiers and their trainees. One in particular. The endermen had built a large training area, where ranks of soldiers were currently training volunteers. I greeted them on my way. Jack was also in charge of training someone, but he was farther along than where I intended to watch.

Soon enough, I arrived at the space set up for another soldier and her trainee. She demonstrated how to nock an arrow into the bow, gently encouraging the boy as he fiddled with the arrow. I smiled at the two of them and leaned against the wall that stretched along the perimeter of the training area, waiting for them to finish.

Thomas finally got it right, earning slight praise from the soldier. They did some target practice for about twenty minutes before the soldier let him take a break. He thanked her and walked over to me with a wave. I waved back, smiling faintly. Thomas sighed as he leaned against the wall. Glistening beads of sweat were running down his face.

"I still don't know why you're training," I told him. "You're our best fighter. I'm sure you could even beat Adrian."

Tom shrugged. "Maybe. Simon would beat me, though."

I 'tsk'd, watching another soldier scold his trainee. "Yeah, but he cheats."

Thomas chuckled, shaking his head. "He doesn't cheat. The explosives and things are just a part of how he fights."

I huffed. "Creepers always use explosives. They never fight like actual warriors."

He nudged me playfully, and I shoved him back. We continued watching the soldiers and trainees. Then I remembered something. "You didn't answer my question."

Tom frowned. "Well, it's best to be prepared, right? You can never be too good at something."

I glared at him. "That's a bullshit reason." I softened my gaze. "Come on, Tom. What's the problem? You know you can tell me anything."

My boyfriend stared at me for a while before sighing. "I'm scared, okay? That's why."

I had honestly not expected that. "Scared? Scared of... of what?"

Thomas looked up at the sky, obviously struggling to put what he felt into words. Finally, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm... scared of Darkness. I mean, he killed the four nether-realm monarchs by himself. How... how could I not be scared?"

Now it was my turn to sigh. I wrapped my hands around his arm, hugging it tightly. "Simon beat him, though. He got away."

Tom smiled. "Yeah, but he cheats."

I punched his shoulder hard, making him chuckle. But it seemed that there was something else on his mind. "What's wrong? I know that's not the only thing bothering you."

He opened his mouth seemingly to argue, but then he changed his mind. Instead, Thomas frowned and looked me in the eye. "I... know how weird it must seem to you, th-the... uh... whol, 'golden spirit' thing. It's weird for me too, and I... really don't want it to come between us, but if it's too much for you then I guess I understa-"

I scoffed, staring at him incredulously. "Really? That's what's bothering you right now?"

Thomas shrank back. "W-well... yeah."

I turned away, feeling a little guilty. "Sorry. Didn't mean to snap at you. But... that's such a dumb thing to worry over."

Tom stared at me. "Why is it dumb?"

Suppressing a sigh, I turned back to face him. "Because there's no... no reason for you to worry about that. Have I ever complained?" I took his hand and leaned closer. "Have I ever said that it bothered me? You didn't change any when Adrian told us. You're still you, I'm still me, and I still love you."

Thomas blinked and then smiled, looking relieved. I gave him a quick kiss before leading him away, still holding his hand. "Come on. There's something I've been wanting to do since we got here."

We wandered away from the airfield and the training area, towards the city. Tom looked around. "Where are we going?"

I sped up, feeling conflicted. There was something I had to find out, but I didn't know if I'd like what I found. "Home. My home."

We traveled down the streets, far into the city. I dragged Thomas along behind me, sprinting around corners and through alleys. But eventually, I started recognizing houses. Shops. Even the local pod, the one with the lopsided target drawn on its wall. Slowing down, I searched for what used to be my house. Tom looked around, taking in the sights of the city.

I waved at people I had known for years, ignoring their questions and amazed looks. I stopped in front of a simple wooden two-story house. It didn't seem mistreated from the outside, at least. Thomas caught up with me, staring at the building. "Is this were you lived?"

My hands were trembling. "Yeah. I lived here with my dad, and my mom before she died."

For a moment, I didn't move. Tom fidgeted a little. "Aren't you going to knock?"

I took a deep breath. "I don't remember if I told you. The king threatened to kill my dad if I didn't bring Jack here within a week."

Tom looked shocked. "Really? I don't think you told me."

"It's hard for me to do this," I told him. "I'm scared of what I'll find, and the... just not knowing is eating me alive."

Thomas placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. Whatever happens, I'm right here, okay?"

I smiled, heaving a sigh and reaching for the door with a shaking hand. "Okay. Here goes."

Knock, Knock. Nothing.

I bit the inside of my cheek, feeling dread crawl in my belly. I pushed on the door, and it creaked softly open. "Dad?"

I didn't get an answer. I exchange a look with Thomas before walking inside. "Dad? Are you here?"

Suddenly, the familiar sound of the back door opening and closing reached my ears. I tensed beside Tom, taking his hand. A familiar face walked into the living room, removing dirty gloves and placing them on the table. "Sorry. Who is it? I was outside tending to the garden and-"

We locked eyes for a moment. The man smiled, utterly baffled. "Sarah? Is... is that you?"

I ran up to the man and enveloped him tightly. "You're okay! Thank the lords you're okay!" I managed between sobs.

My dad returned the hug. His voice shook. "Oh lords... I'm glad you're okay too, honey. I've... I thought..."

He pulled away to stare at me, wiping tears from my cheeks. "The king's men told me awful things. They said you'd gone missing, among other claims. I have been worried sick, afraid for your wellbeing."

I hugged him again, burrowing my face in his chest. "But I'm here now. I'm okay, you're okay, everything's okay..."

My dad kissed the top of my head. "Well, not everything. I've heard rumors of..."

I felt him look up, so I turned around to follow his gaze. Tom was standing there, awkwardly staring out a window. I had comepletely forgotten about him. I walked up to him, taking his hand and pulling him towards my dad. "I... want you to meet someone, dad."

My father stared at Thomas without giving anything away. I nudged Tom forwards a little. "This is Thomas, my boyfriend. I've been living with him, and the rest of our friends, during the time that I'd been gone."

My dad blinked once. He looked Tom over, from head to toe. Then he smiled. "He seems like a nice guy." He extended a hand out to Thomas, who shook it. "A pleasure to meet you."

Tom smiled. "The pleasure is mine, sir."

Dad turned around, walking over to the kitchen. "I was just about to start making lunch. Would you like to help me?"

I smiled, and Thomas nodded. "We'd love to, dad. More than anything in the world."

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Jack's POV (1 day before war)

I wandered the large courtyard behind the castle. A few birds chirped among the branches of the evergreen trees I passed. Other than that, everything was quiet. Many kinds of plants grew here in an organized manner; the king before the king before my uncle had wanted to plant at least three of every kind of flower back here, when this space was only used for one thing.

I reached the center of the courtyard and looked around. There were lots of thin, flat stones set up in long lines. Each had an intricate carving in the center, and a name chiseled beneath it. I started looking through them, searching for one in particular. A few had wilted flowers placed before them. Eventually, I came across the stone I was looking for. It had fresh flowers in a vase.

The stone's carving was that of a rose surrounded by thorny vines and a wavy line. From what I'd read, this supposedly granted safe and protected passage to the afterlife. The name beneath the carving read; Cole Reedly.

I tucked my hands in my pockets, staring at the grave. "Hey bro. Been a while, hasn't it? I miss you, despite everything. I..." Heaving a sigh, I pulled some flowers from the inside pockets of my dark-cyan jacket. "Honestly, I don't know what else to say. So, I guess I'll just... leave these here."

I simply stood there for a while, staring at the stone slab. I heard some footsteps behind me, but I didn't turn around. Somebody's shadow stretched over Cole's grave. My uncle's raspy voice revealed who it was. "I'm honestly surprised to find you here, Jack."

I shrugged. "You shouldn't be. He was my brother, after all."

Silence stretched between us for a little while. "This is one of the upsides of not having castle catacombs," I said at last. "We can pay respects to our dead withought having to walk through lots of dark tunnels."

Uncle Troyel sighed. "Jack, I... I'm sorry. I should have been a better father figure for the both of you."

I huffed. "Well, at least you did better than the parents who never cared for us. At least you gave us a life better than wandering the streets as orphans."

My uncle shook his head. "But that's no excuse for the way I treated you. I hope you'll forgive me."

I smiled, staring up at the sky. "I already have, Unc. Come on, there's a few last-minute preparations to be done still."

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Darkness's POV

I could not contain my malevolent glee as I raised a hand to stop my monsters. The thunderous boom of their footsteps ceased, and silence enveloped us. There it was, Veridon City, in all its glory. Soon to be destroyed, ravaged by the might of my monsters.

"Finally," I growled. "We're here at last."

I drew my sword, the magma-stone shining slightly under the bleak winter sun. My generals lined up behind me, awaiting orders. I smiled at the wither skeletons. "Let them come out. We'll have a nice, bloody, old-fashioned brawl in our hands. Everyone knows what to do?"

My Necronaut general smiled excitedly. "Kill them."

"Tear them apart," my Argonaut general put in.

My Poisonaut general had a wild look on his face. "Make them beg!"

My Demonaut general took a step forwards, hands curled into fists with anticipation. "Destroy them!"

I nodded before turning back to admire the scenery. It would certainly be the last time it'd look like this. "Exactly. Make sure every monster is in their proper place. There must be no mistakes."

_Knock-knock, brother. I hope you're ready now. I've arrived._

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Thomas's POV

One of the king's men brought me and my friends, as well as Lady Anastasia and her companions, early in the morning to a 'pod' closest to the wall. When we asked him why, the only thing he said was; "Our enemy is here."

We were then moved into a room in the back, were Simon and General Anderson were waiting for us. There were benches in the middle, and tall lockers backed up against the walls. We greeted them quickly before Anderson took a step forwards. "People, listen up. The time for war has come. I will be briefing you, Simon here will be giving you your armor and weapons, and then you will follow Church to your respective patrols."

The man looked around, searching for something with a frown. "Where the hell is Church?"

Another soldier suddenly walked through the door in a hurry. "Sorry, sorry. Got a little sidetracked, General."

Anderson pinche the bridge of his nose, heaving a sigh. "The shit I have to put up with..."

Then he clapped his hands and started regarding us one by one. "Each of you have been assigned to a patrol. There are ten wall patrols, ten city patrols and two siege patrols. The goal of these is to get you." He pointed a finger at Thomas. "Close enough to Darkness to kill him. General Griffin will be leading the rear patrol, while the king himself will lead the front patrol."

He started pacing. "Prince Jack, princess Kaitlin, and Captain Sarah will accompany with you between both siege patrols."

I turned to look at Sarah. "You're a captain?"

The skeleton girl smiled at me. "Of course. I passed every test but one with flying colors in military school. Besides, it's not that big a deal. Captain is the only rank after private and before general."

Anderson cleared his throat loudly, looking annoyed. "I am giving a briefing here, so I require you to shut up and listen."

Sarah and I nodded. "Yes, sir." I was surprised to hear Sarah say that, her being the no-nonsense can't-make-me type and everything. The general nodded back and continued his 'briefing'.

"Captain Adrian and miss Lila will be part of the fifth wall patrol, while Theridas and miss Pepper will be part of the sixth. Miss Eba will be piloting the aw... awee... the first airship with General Hendershot and three of his men. Simon will be piloting the second airship with miss Izabell, miss Valory, me, and Private Church."

He gave us a mean look. "Are we clear? Does everyone know their positions? Our only goal is to kill the monsters threatening Veridon. It shouldn't be that hard to understand."

"We know, General," Jack assured him. "Thank you for informing us."

Anderson huffed. "You better know. I have more pressing matters to attend to, so I will leave Simon to give you your gear. Church!"

The soldier stood up straighter. "Yes, sir!"

The General started walking away and out of the room. "Stay behind to keep an eye on them. And make sure everybody ends up in their proper place."

Church nodded. "Sir, yes sir!"

Simon rubbed his hands together. "Well, now that that colorful briefing is over..." He reached under one of the many benches in the room, pulling out a crate overflowing with various things. "I have a box of trinkets I've been wanting to show you guys."

Valory frowned at the crate. "When did you have time to make so much stuff?"

The creeper boy shrugged. "The engineers didn't listen to me much, and the only guidance they really needed was the blueprint anyway, so I had lots of free time. I was even allowed to grab some materials from king Troyel's storage rooms."

He dug through the box. "Oh, and your armor is in the lockers. They have names on little tags which you can take off after putting it on. You guys should probably do that first while I find and organize my stuff."

A chorus of 'right...' 'okay' 'alright then' filled the room as everyone gathered at the lockers. I brought out a set of armor with the tag 'Valory'. I traded with the spider, who got one labeled 'Jack'. We fumbled with the armor until everyone had their own set, and then we gathered around Simon again.

The creeper boy had brought out more than half of the box's contents, splaying them on the floor. He started returning a few, mostly loose parts and unidentifiable gizmos. Sarah crossed her arms. "I thought you said you were going to organize your mess. You just made it worse."

Simon shrugged. "It's an organized mess. Also, I didn't make stuff for everyone. For example, there's really nothing helpful I can make for Kait, or Thomas, or Adrian, or Jack, or Eba. And, really, most of the stuff in the box is really not that useful in combat scenarios. Now let's see..."

He picked up a small burlap sack, extending it out to Lila. "I made a few modifications to the design," he explained as the cave spider looked through the contents. "And made them diamond-edged. Apart from flying farther and faster, they should do more damage."

Lila brought out a black shuriken with light-blue edges. It was flatter than her old ones, and the hole was the same shape as the shuriken itself instead of just a circle. The cave spider put it back in and brought out a small, flat, metal box thing with straps. "What's this?"

The creeper boy smiled. "Useful. Remember I told you I'd find a way to make carrying the shuriken easier? That's what I did. Let me show you."

Simon took the box thing and made Lila show him her forearm. The creeper boy strapped it to the bottom of her arm with the straps and pulled three shurikens from the bag. "The little flat box is for storing the shurikens, See?"

He began pushing the throwing stars into a slot on the front small side. Each one clicked as it went in. "Now, when you flick your wrist upward, one of the stars will come out." The creeper boy demonstared with his own wrist. "Try it."

Lila stared at the gizmo on her arm for a moment before extending it out. She flicked her wrist upwards, and one of the shurikens was dispensed into her hand. The cave spider smiled. "This is great. It'll be so easy to use these now. How many fit in one dispenser?"

Simon looked proud. "Six. It took some time to figure out the right dispensing speed to where it would actually come out and not cut your hand off. I have a dozen new scars on my palm to prove it."

Izabell was horrified. "Really? And you didn't tell me?"

The creeper boy shook his head, picking up something else. "I wasn't going to die from the cuts, and I didn't want to worry you more than necessary. This is for... Val."

The spider walked up to Simon, who brought out a double-headed spear a little smaller than Valory's. She took it, staring blankly at the weapon. "It's another spear."

Simon looked almost offended. "Yes, but it's not just a spear. Not only are the spearheads diamond, but it also has a cool gimmick. See the little triggers in the metal? And the shallow dip in the center?"

We looked closer to see what he was talking about. Val nodded. "I talked with some of Lady June's tailors," Simon continued, "and they told me that your string comes from your fingertips."

Both Lila and Valory murmured their agreement. The creeper boy went on. "The dip in the spear is for your thumbs. Press one on there and then make some string, but only with that thumb, and hold the trigger down."

The spider nodded, looking a little confused. "Okay..."

She pressed her thumb to one of the dips for a few seconds and held the trigger down. The diamond spearhead suddenly popped off, dangling from a thick strand of white string. Valory looked even more confused. "How does this help?"

"Swing the spear," Simon suggested. "And then let go of the trigger."

The spider had a skeptical look as she feared back and swung outward. The spearhead whistled through the air, leaving a scratch on the wall Val had swung at, before quickly returning to the spear with a click once she'd let go of the trigger.

Valory stared at the spear with wide eyes. "Okay... it might take some getting used to, but that is definitely useful."

Simon smiled. "I'm glad you liked it. This next thing is for you, Z." He rummaged through his box again and brought out a large purse. He opened the flap on top and showed us the inside.

"Technically, I only made half of it. I asked one of the tailors to make the actual fabric to put it together. It has six slots for you to put potion bottles, as well as many different compartments for small flasks, preferably for instant healing potions in case of emergencies. The inside is mostly metal with padding for the bottles."

The slime girl took it from him and put it on. "It doesn't feel too heavy."

"It probably will when you fill it with potions," the creeper boy warned. "There are two compartments on the sides where you can hide flasks, and three little sleeves for them on the underside of the flap."

Izabell nodded and inspected the purse a little closer. She smiled every now and then, probably finding a little message or doodle or something from Simon. The creeper boy started handing out swords. Pepper raised her hands, taking a step back.

"I don't need a sword." She pulled out two crude knuckledusters from her pockets. "I have these."

Simon frowned, putting the sword away. "Those won't do you much good against heavily armored monsters. But, I do have something better."

The creeper boy went back to his box of things and came back with two metal guantlets. He gave them to Pepper. "I made them specifically for the people with the 'beat-em-up' fighting style. When you curl your hands into fists, they become... well, somewhat aerodynamic, and front-heavy, making it easier for you to throw punches. They also have sharp ridges, and will cause significant damage to anyone and anything."

Pepper inspected them with newfound wonder, and slipped them on. "They feel a little loose."

Simon pointed at the underside of the gauntlets. "Tighten the straps."

The creeper woman did as he instructed, and then threw a couple experimental blows at the air. There was this almost childish, gleeful expression on her face. "Hun! Come look at what your friend's friend gave me!"

Theridas, who was still struggling with his armor set's boots, looked up. "What is it?"

Pepper walked over and showed him the guantlets, giving the blaze a demonstration. He looked impressed. "That's great, Pepper. And, um... could you... help me out? I can't put these things on."

Soon enough, they had solved Theridas's problem. Simon walked up to the blaze. "I didn't make this specifically for you, but I think you'll find it useful. All blazes can make fire, right?"

The royal servant raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

Simon nodded and brought something out of his box. It was a thin longsword tucked in its sheath, which had a sling on the back. He drew the weapon and gave it to Theridas. The center of the blade was black for some reason. "The design was originally thought of for Kait," the creeper boy began.

"But she doesn't do swords, so I made a few modifications so it'd be more you size. The hilt has no leather or cloth for a reason, which might make it less comfortable but I think that's a small price to pay for what it can do."

Theridas frowned at him. "What can it do?"

The creeper boy went into his 'I thought you'd never ask' mode again, which usually happens sometimes when he feels particularly proud of something he made. "Use your fire while wielding the sword. Eventually, it will become hot enough to cut cleanly through solid granite. Or, you know, armored monsters. The black section of the blade is coal to keep it alight even if you let go, and it makes the sword just a little lighter than one made entirely of metal."

Theridas nodded, staring at the sword. "Should I test it?"

Simon thought this over. "No. I know it will work, and if you pre-heat it now, you might hurt someone on accident. The sheath is pretty heat resistant, but it will eventually start burning up and then you won't have a safe place to leave the sword."

The royal servant nodded and slipped the blade into its sheath, slinging it over his shoulder. Private Church cleared his throat and addressed us. "Is everyone ready now?"

Everyone nodded, and the soldier put on an iron helmet. "Good. Simon will lead Eba, Valory, and Izabell to the airfield. The rest of you will follow me to your respective patrols. It's time for battle."

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Theridas's POV

Private Church led us out of the 'pod' and down the streets, along with many other soldiers, towards the wall that surrounds Veridon. Princess Kaitlin and her friends exchanged farewells as the others split off towards the airfield. Once we entered the wall and were out the other side, Church started leading us towards the many patrols of soldiers standing straight in front of the wall. I could just barely see Darkness's troops atop the hills in the distance.

The private told Adrian and Lila to stand behind the rest of the fifth patrol, and we moved on to the next one. He instructed Thomas, Sarah, prince Jack and princess Kaitlin to stand together between both siege patrols, and then led me and Pepper towards the sixth patrol. "Stay with your patrol," he instructed like he had with everyone else. "Do what your general tells you to, so long as it's not dumb, and help any fellow soldiers you can. Okay?"

Pepper nodded, smiling. "Yeah, we got it. Stay together, do what we're told unless it is absolutely retarded, and help our guys."

Church shrugged. "Close enough. Good luck. I have to dash back to the airfield before the ship takes off." Then he ran back towards the wall against the tide of soldiers still streaming out to stand with their patrols.

Pepper leaned close and whispered in my ear. "What was our general's name?"

I frowned and racked my brain, searching for the answer. "Uh... Beckett, I think."

The creeper woman nodded and dragged my by the hand to the front of the patrol. The other soldiers, most of them the newly trained volunteers, stood aside to let us pass. The general eyed us curiously before staring straight ahead again. Pepper tapped his shoulder once. "What's going on general?"

The man didn't turn to face us as he spoke. "We're awaiting orders from the king, simple as that."

We exchanged glances. "Right..."

A far-off droning made me turn around. The airships rumbled towards us, coming to a stop one by one high in the sky. Walking closer to the front, I stared at the three monarchs leading the front siege patrol. I had to convince lady Anastasia to stay in the city, out of harm's way.

'This is absurd, Theridas! I will not cower behind these walls while you, Kaitlin, and the other monarchs fight for your lives against that wretched demon!'

'Milady, you need to stay here.'

'I will do no such thing!'

The princess was there also. 'Please, mom. We're finally together again. I don't want anything to happen to you.'

The ex-queen's gaze had softened, and she took the princess' small hands in her own. She searched the young blaze's eyes for a few moments before nodding. 'Very well. But please, be careful. I already lost your father. I don't want to lose you too.'

Princess Kaitlin had given her mother a sad smile. 'I will, mom. May our stars cross paths once again.'

Lady Anastasia hugged her daughter tightly. 'And may their light brighten our darkest hours.'

"Darkness!"

The skeleton king's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Demon spawned of vile muck! We give you one last chance to leave our lands and never return."

His voice carried over the once quiet, wide expanse of grass and snow. From afar, I could see Darkness smile. His four generals stood with him, two on either side. "And why would I do that, king Troyel of the skeleton clan? After all, it is I who leads the greater army, made up of the monsters you humans fear so much."

King Troyel drew his longsword from its sheath. "We do not fear you, or your army."

The black demon's smile widened. "You should."

Darkness summoned a sword from black flames that erupted from his hands. Embedded in the metal, just above the hilt, was the orange magma-stone that had once belonged to king Fergus of the blazes. The demon swung and twirled the sword, taking five steps towards us, before holding raised in the air, it blade down, with both hands. Then he shoved it into the earth.

The ground shook, and the skies darkened. Thunder and lightning came from clouds that had suddenly gathered above. The magma-stone shone brightly on the hilt of Darkness's sword. Cracks formed on the dirt around the blade, spiderwebbing and reaching outwards. They expanded, some forming ravines or splitting mountains and hills. Stone groaned and snapped apart beneath me. I remember two things in the split second it took to reach me.

The first thing was what Monsul, the castle blacksmith, had warned me about. 'He'll kill _everythin_'! Do you not understand whut dat damned thing would be _capable_ of?!? It would shatter the worlds! _All of them!'_

The second was the nightmare that Ella had told me about. '_Y-You fell, and no-one caught you_.'

Time seemed to slow down. One moment I was standing on solid ground, and the next, that ground crumbled away as my world snapped in half. I reached for the ledge, scrabbling to get a grip, but the cold hard earth gave away under my frantic hands. I wanted to stare at everything at once. The endless pit bellow, the bleak sky above, the other soldiers scrambling away from the edge. My entire life flashed before my eyes.

I suddenly stopped mid-air. An armored hand gripped my forearm tightly. I blinked up at its owner. Dark-green eyes stared down at me. "It's okay, love. I got you. I got you."

Pepper started pulling me back up, groaning with the effort. I helped her as much as possible, climbing up the steep walls of the new ravine. The creeper woman finally managed to pull me up enough for me to throw my leg over and onto the edge, and then crawl back to safety. Pepper hugged me tightly, both of us still on our knees.

"Thank the lords... I thought I wasn't going to be able to catch you in time. But you're okay. We're both okay."

I felt numb. I was so sure that I was going to die right then. I remembered having calmed Ella down the first time she'd told me about the nightmares. 'Well, sometimes, bad dreams are just that.'

King Troyel helped Lady Cassidy to her feet and raised a hand. "My troops!"

The soldiers and generals got to their feet, standing straight once again as the king went on. "Do not be afraid! This is just a hollow show of strength. We have fought and won countless battles. This will simply be another tally to be added to the record. It is time for us to defeat a scourge that threatens our realm and both others."

The skeleton king raised his fist. "For the overworld!"

A thousand voices hollered as one. "For the overworld!"

Darkness pulled his sword from the earth and pointed it at us. "Attack!"

From seemingly out of nowhere, blazes and ghasts took to the skies, and all of the black demon's monsters roared as they charged. The flood of monsters hid Darkness as they shuffled and scurried down the hillsides. The other soldiers ran towards the enemy with their weapons drawn.

Pepper hugged me once more, planting a kiss on my cheek, before pulling me up with her. "Come on, hun. Let's bash some monster heads in, shall we?"

I smiled at my girlfriend despite everything. "We shall."

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Author's Notes

Fucking hell, it took me way too long to finish this. But I really do like how it turned out. I think this is the second longest chapter I've written.

It is time. War has begun. I hate leaving you guys on a cliffhanger, but I'd take even longer to finish if I continued. I promise, though, that next chapter will be up much sooner.

Thank you so much for your patience, time, and support. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	62. The Battle

Author's Notes

Okay... uh, it says here that... really? Really? It took me two months to publish this one??? Geez. Sorry about that. I've been very busy, and school has started up again, so I haven't had time to write. But let this chapter tell you; 'Baby, I'm back'. :D

This may very well be the last chapter of our story. I hope I've managed to reach your expectations and maybe even gone beyond. This journey has definitely been a great one.

Also, it was not letting me add a space between 'The' and 'Battle' before for some reason. :I

Now, Reviews!

actionpotato12, why thank you. I'm glad you like it. :D

ThinMint, Ah, I can't, there's no wood nearby. D: Heh. Sadly, I did remember. Can't make any promises... Thank you for understanding, and for your amazing support!

GiggiEba, Yay! I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I'll try to fix that. Thank you! You might have to, but I'll try to make it a short wait. :P

At long last, let us get on with the story!

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3rd Person POV

Simon stood at the helm of the _MKII_, flipping switches and pushing levers. Izabell, Valory, and General Anderson stood on deck, waiting to lift off. The general tapped his armored foot impatiently against the boards.

"Where the hell is Private Church? All he had to do was lead the others to their own patrols. Can he not accomplish even a simple task like that by himself?"

The slime girl sighed. "General, with all due respect, maybe you should be a little more patient with Church. He means well, and tries very hard to please you. Being absentminded and a little clumsy doesn't make him useless."

Right then, Simon cursed just loud enough for them to hear, messing with the airship's controls again. Izabell smiled. "See? Everyone makes mistakes."

Anderson huffed, staring out at the streets below. "Indeed they do, but Church has had many second chances. If his success rate doesn't improve, I'm afraid that I'll have to ask the king to relieve him of duty."

Simon didn't look up from the controls as he spoke. "Has he ever been in any sort of combat scenario outside of training?"

The general stared at the creeper boy for a moment before huffing. "No."

"Then you can't really judge if he's a good soldier or not. Sadly, the battlefield is the real test for every warrior." The engine roared to life, and Simon leaned against a section of railing on the side of the controls with his arms to stare back at the general. "You'll just have to wait and see if Church is any good."

It was right then when the private in question ran into the airfield, dodging around airships in the middle of taking off to reach his own. The soldier scrambled up the rope ladder as he reached the others, and gave a salute to the general once he was on deck. "Forgive me for taking so long, sir. The streets were more crowded on the way back."

It looked like the General was about to snap at him, but a look from Izabell made Anderson change his mind. "That was out of your control, soldier. Just do as you're told now; the battle is about to begin." And then he walked to the front of the airship.

Private Church stared at Anderson, feeling and looking utterly flabbergasted. The slime girl smiled and walked over to Simon. The creeper boy got the airship into the air, asking Valory to raise the anchor.

Izabell stood beside him as Simon steered the airship over the city, towards the wall. "What are we going to do?"

The creeper boy answered almost coldly, a telltale sign for Izabell that he was stressed. "Anderson and Church will man the cannons, while you and Val fire the Gatling bows. You two will aim at any fireballs thrown our way, and they will attack the opposing ground units. I'll try to manouver the ship to give you all a good firing angle."

The slime girl nodded and relayed the message to the others. Once everyone was aware of their role, they stood at their battle stations as Simon brought the _MKII_ over Veridon's wall. From up here, they could see the large mass of monsters that threatened them. Anderson watched the other soldiers below, standing with the monarchs and Thomas. It looked like the skeleton King was speaking with Darkness...

Suddenly, lightning struck far above them. Cracks coming from Darkness's position extended all the way to the wall. Anderson couldn't believe his eyes. A ravine opened up among the ranks. Someone almost fell in, but was caught by a fellow soldier before he was lost. The ground, the hills and mountains and even the sky shook with a thunderous roar.

"What the hell just happened?" he exclaimed, staring at Private Church.

The soldier simply stared down his Gatling bow's sights, which were aimed at the monsters. King Troyel gave the signal to attack, as did Darkness, and both armies raced forwards to fight head-on. One by one, portals were being lit behind the enemy forces. Ghasts and blazes poured out, taking to the skies. They immediately began firing at the mobs below, some already taking interest in the airships.

All the Dragoon ships shot back with arrows and cannonballs. Cannons boomed and flames burst. Far below on the ground, the first few soldiers reached the opposing armada. Sparks flew from swords, monsters roared and the battle cries of the mobs rang loudly. Some monsters wielded large broadswords or axes, while the skeletons used longbows. Spiders jumped on top of soldiers, bringing them to the ground before biting them with razor-sharp fangs. Fellow mobs swung their weapons and peeled the arachnid's corpses off them, but most were too late to be saved.

And in the middle of it all were our heroes. Thomas ran after the monarchs and their men, Sarah by his side, while their friends trailed behind them. The front siege patrol carved a path through the mass monsters, managing to get a fourth of the way to darkness before having to slow down. The monsters surrounded them, growling and hissing.

Thomas couldn't believe it at first. The sheer amount of monsters, their ferocity and speed; it was overwhelming. Whatever Darkness had done when he shoved his black sword into the ground somehow made them more... energetic. The boy swung Nightsky's sword at an armored husk, and the obsidian blade cut Its head cleanly down the middle.

As he watched, Thomas noticed something odd. The bodies of the monster that were killed turned to dust after a few seconds, their armor the only indication that they were there to begin with. Jack pushed Thomas forward, saving him from a pigman's attack before shooting it in the face with his crossbow. The stray gave Thomas a smug look before running after the siege patrol. Kaitlin had slowed down, her necklace glowing brightly as she torched the armored monsters.

Sarah shot arrows quickly and with deadly precision, taking down monsters in their path. King Troyel, the man not being a fan of ranged combat, struck down spiders and wither skeletons with his broadsword, while Lady June used large knives to attack. King Adam was piloting one of the Dragoon airships, and lady Cassidy had stayed behind to defend the city from endermen skirmishers.

General Griffin shouted at the gang from the back, urging them to 'hurry the fuck up and help the king'. Thomas searched for king Troyel, and found him fending off a relentless enderman. The boy rushed forwards and swung at the monster. It stumbled back and tried to defend itself, but the king struck it down with his own sword.

Troyel huffed, staring at Thomas. "Thank you, son. These monsters are tougher than any we've faced before."

Jack caught up to them and shot a few husks. Most of his bolts simply bounced off them. "Their armor doesn't help either."

They trudged on, fending off waves of monster after monster. A spider jumped one of the soldiers in front of Thomas, and the boy swiftly put it down. He helped the soldier onto his feet and ran after the others. Lady June killed a zombie pigman with her knives, and turned around to find a heavily armored wither skeleton. The monster glared menacingly at her, wielding a spiked ball and chain.

"You will never win," it growled.

The spider queen took a step back, ready to defend herself. "We'll see about that."

The skeleton roared and swung its weapon at her. Lady June dodged around it, trying to find a gap through which to attack. The monster charged and shouldered her onto the ground, rearing back to bring its mace down on top of her head.

Having seen this, King Troyel rushed to help and hit the back of the wither skeleton's leg, causing the monster to stumble. Lady June used the opportunity get up, and together they pushed the monster back. The wither skeleton roared at them, and drew a second ball and chain. One in each hand, he struck out at king Troyel and lady June. One of the monster's blows hit the skeleton king on the shoulder, making him fall back on one knee.

The wither skeleton smiled grimly in satisfaction, swinging his other weapon down to deliver a killing blow. Out of the blue, Thomas ran in front of the king and used the obsidian sword to shield him. The mace wrapped itself around his sword's blade, and Thomas used this to yank the weapon out of the monster's hand. It slipped off the end of the sword and hit the ground with a clutter and clunk.

Thomas swung relentlessly at the wither skeleton, not giving it a chance to retaliate. The monster tripped on a discarded monster helm, falling flat on his back, and the boy plunged his sword through its chest. The wither skeleton gave a breathless roar before it disintegrated like the other monsters had. Thomas was breathing heavily, looking at the carnage around him.

Cannon shells battered the ground, taking down two dozen monsters at a time. Two airships had already fallen, and lay in a flaming pile in the middle of the battlefield. The plains, once green, were now littered with bodies and blood. The boy couldn't process it all for a moment. It was too much. The monsters roared, cannons roared back, people screamed and fought for their lives and those of their loved ones. It was utter chaos.

A hand on his shoulder brought Thomas back to the present.

It was the skeleton king. "I suppose I must thank you again."

Lady June nodded at them. "As do I. But this is not over yet. We must push harder."

Thomas nodded, taking deep breaths to calm down. "I think that was one of the generals. He had better armor than the other monsters."

Sarah and Jack caught up with them, as well as most of General Griffin's patrol. The general himself was nowhere to be found. The king frowned. "Where's Griffin?"

One of the soldiers, captain Avery, hung her head. "He's gone, my king. An enderman got him."

Troyel sighed and nodded. "He will be missed. We can pay our respects once this battle is over. But right now, we must do all we can to reach Darkness."

The soldiers gave him a salute, and the siege patrols pushed on. Back in the citadel, the streets were just as chaotic as the battlefield outside. Armored endermen tore down homes by rupturing their support beams and foundations, and they teleported in Creepers who readily did their part to destroy Veridon from within.

Lady Cassidy used her longsword to defend the citizens from harm. Her troops made emergency repairs to the crumbling buildings and warped the innocent away from danger. The queen attacked one of the monsters, opening a gash down the uncovered underside of its arm. The enderman roared and warped away to either wreak more havoc or lick its wounds.

The queen fell to her knees breathing laboriously, using her sword as a staff to stay upright. One of her soldiers noticed and bent down to help her up. "On your feet, my queen. You are too vulnerable here."

The old enderwoman smiled despite it all. "Everyone is vulnerable with those things hanging around. I'll be fine, Doran. Just need to catch my breath."

With the help of the captain, Lady Cassidy managed to get back up. The soldier searched her gaze worriedly. "My queen, if you were to die... there's no one to replace you."

The enderman scoffed. "I won't die today, Captain. There is still plenty of time to choose an heir. Now leave me; the others need help."

Captain Doran reluctantly left Lady Cassidy's side, running to assist a patrol repairing a large apartment building. The queen raised her sword again and rushed to help a young couple cornered by an enderman. She raised her sword and shoved into the monster's shoulder, the end of her blade coming out the other side coated in purple blood.

The enderman shrieked in pain and flung her away, wrenching the sword painfully out of its shoulder. Lady Cassidy sat up as the monster neared her, sharp-toothed jaws parted and drooling. Out of a satchel bag she wore, the queen pulled a pink enderpearl, showing it off to the monster. The enderman hesitated for a second, uncertainty in its corrupted black eyes.

Then the monster shrieked again and warped away. The couple brought the sword back to the queen, thanking her, before she directed them to safety. Lady Cassidy closed her eyes, leaning against the wall. She caressed the satchel and its precious cargo, simply wanting to lay down and rest. But she felt that if she slept now, she might never wake up.

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Theridas's POV

I brought down Simon's fire sword, killing another cave spider. Pepper beheaded a skeleton with one blow and ran over to me. "How are you doing, hun?"

I drew the fire sword, sizzling for some reason, from the corpse of the spider. "Uh... I'm not really great at fighting. But I'm not dead, so that's good."

The beautiful creeper woman smiled. "That's the spirit!"

She continued beating the hell out of the armored monsters as I swung my sword. Simon was right about it being able to cut through metal, but it still took some effort to kill them. I cut a zombie pigman in half, cringing away from an arrow that flew right past my head. The sword's handle made my hands and fingers ache. Pepper saved me from a husk, and I returned the favor by taking down a skeleton aiming for her.

"Deserter!"

A raspy voice made me whirl around. Darkness's Argonaut general stood in front of me, wielding a massive broadsword. The wither skeleton glared, its maw open and teeth bared. He swung his sword at my head, and I barely managed to avoid getting it cut in half. The monster didn't give me time to retaliate, just kept swinging his sword. I did my best blocking the monster's attacks, but I was afraid that Simon's sword would shatter under the weight of my oponent's.

"Turncoat!"

The general bashed me with the hilt of his weapon, causing me to stagger back. Fear coiled up inside me as I tripped and fell flat on my back. The fire sword flew out of my hand and was lost among the chaos. The wither skeleton looked down at me, sword raised.

"You traitorous yellowbelly!"

Out of nowhere, Pepper flew in and punched the monster in the face. The general's head snapped to the left, his bottom jaw dislocated and helmet dented where the blow had landed. He stumbled backwards, staring at Pepper in surprise and outrage.

The creeper woman rolled her shoulders and bumped both fists together, her guantlets clinking loudly. "Nobody calls my boyfriend a yellowbelly, you bastard."

The wither skeleton narrowed his eyes and raised his sword again. He ran at Pepper, ready to swing, but the creeper woman sidestepped to the right and managed to avoid the blow. She landed three hits, two to the side and one to the back of the head, before backing off a little. She began circling the monster, taunting him now and then.

The Argonaut general roared and swung relentlessly at the creeper woman. But she blocked and dodged every strike, throwing punches as she went. I got up after getting over the shock, wanting to help her. Without my sword, there was not much I could do but hope I wouldn't hurt her. I summoned a fireball, concentrating hard on making sure it wouldn't fizzle out.

Someone rushed past me, knocking the monster back with a few good swings of a short sword. The stranger kept the Argonaut General off Pepper long enough for me to have a stable ball of concentrated flames in my hand. I reared back. "Pepper! Duck!"

The creeper woman gave me a quick glance before stepping out of the way as I chucked the fireball with all my might at the wither skeleton. The monster didn't have time to react, my proyectile hitting it square in the chest and exploding. The blast sent it flying, knocking down other monsters in its path before hitting the ground and disintegrating like the others.

The stranger gave one look at the downed general and turned to face me. "_A la madre_. Man, I'm glad that wasn't aimed at me."

His helmet had a sort of mesh thing, and I could only see his eyes. But there was something familiar about his voice...

Pepper walked up to me and gasped. "Ronaldo?"

The man took off his helmet and smiled. "Hey Pep. Hey, Therisito. How are you guys?"

Without his helmet on, I finally recognized him. "Uh... Alright, I guess. Almost died multiple times, but other than that... fine."

Ronaldo nodded, patting my shoulder a couple times. "That's great, dude. Oh, I think this is yours."

He drew a blackened sword from a bag and handed it to me. It was Simon's sword, the fire probably put out by mud or footsteps or something. "Thank you. I thought I lost it for a moment."

The bartender waved it away. "It's fine, dude. Just don't lose it again."

"Why are you here, Ronaldo?" Pepper asked. "Where's Erik?"

The man shrugged, putting his helmet back up. "Stuck in some other kitchen, I guess. I volunteered for the army, he volunteered to be an army cook. 'The troops get hungry' was his excuse. I think he was just scared to get his hands dirty." He raised his sword and gestured to the sea of monsters in front of him. "Come on, we can talk after we're done."

Then he charged forwards, taking down monsters left and right. Pepper smiled at me before following. I heaved a sigh and ran after the two of them, relighting the fire sword as I went.

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3rd Person POV

Kaitlin used her flames to melt a dozen monsters before looking around. Her necklace shone brightly, and fire rose from her hair and eyes. A crown made of flames sat atop her head. The blaze princess had separated from her friends, wanting to help the others, but now something caught her eye. She jumped into the air, using fire to keep herself afloat for a few seconds.

A gasp escaped her, and she dropped back down. The blaze princess pushed her way past soldiers and monsters alike, killing a few of the latter that stood in her way. She managed to reach Thomas and the front siege patrol, who were fending off zombie pigmen and endermen. Kaitlin torched the few remaining, fighting to catch her breath.

Sarah walked up to her, warily making sure no monsters would surprise them. "Are you Alright, Kait?"

The blaze princess nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, just tired. I saw Darkness."

The skeleton girl nodded and whistled, catching Thomas's attention. The boy walked over after finishing off a spider. "Kait says she saw Darkness," Sarah told him over the loud sounds of battle.

Thomas nodded. "Lead us to him if you can. How far away are we?"

Kaitlin gestured for him to follow as she spoke. "We're more than halfway there, but there's lots of nasty monsters in the back."

Sarah ran over to the king and asked him to follow Kait. Troyel nodded and ordered his men to do the same. Far above them, blazes and ghasts had all but forgotten the mobs on the ground, focusing on shooting down the airships. Despite there being a thousand blazes and ghasts, there were more tears and blaze rods on the ground than burned-out airship hulls.

Izabell and Valory gunned some of them down with their bow gatlings aboard the _MKII_, popping fireballs that were thrown their way. Private Church and General Anderson were trying their hardest to load and fire the cannons quickly. Sometimes, Val and Iza couldn't hit fireballs in time, and Simon had to veer the ship away, narrowly avoiding the shots.

A ghast breathed deeply and shot an abnormally large fire charge at airship. Simon noticed and left the wheel, running towards Izabell. The slime girl hadn't seen the threat since she was shooting down a ghast in the opposite direction. "Izabell!"

The slime girl turned to stare at him, and Simon made a 'move over' gesture. Izabell sidestepped out of his way, and the creeper boy whirled the Gatling bow around. He shot a slew of arrows at the incoming fireball, but all of them missed. The large proyectile sailed towards them, until eventually one of Simon's arrows pierced it.

The fire charge exploded meters away from them, burning shrapnel flying everywhere. The creeper boy shielded Izabel with his body as a couple chunks of burning stone battered them. One said chunk zipped above their heads, cutting cleanly through a rope, lighting it on fire, and rolling to a stop on the deck.

Simon grimaced at the flailing rope, watching fire crawl up it to the balloon. "Get those two up here, stat," he shouted to no one in general. Val ducked belowdecks and came back up moments later with General Anderson and Private Church. Izabell followed Simon to the airship's controls, where the creeper boy began turning the wheel and moving levers.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to make use of the _MKII's_, last moments," he muttered grimly. "Everyone hold on to something that's not on fire!"

Anderson, Church and Valory held on to the railing. Izabell wrapped her arms tightly around one of Simon's. The fire spread quickly, consuming part of the balloon and the middle of the deck. Ropes snapped and boards creaked. Simon had a dreadful afterthought, but shook it off after noticing that the stairs to head belowdecks were blocked off by the flames.

The creeper boy pushed both the main and rear propellers up to eleven, hoping to slow down in time. The airship began to tilt sideways as it dropped. Simon couldn't get it back upright, so he let go of the controls and gripped a piece of railing in front of them. He pulled Izabell into a hug and watched the sea of monsters rise to meet them. "Brace yourselves!"

They hit the ground hard, taking down hundreds of monsters as they went. The airship cracked straight down the middle from the impact, the left side having been engulfed in flames and taking the rest of the balloon with it. The other end of the _MKII_ crumbled under its own weigh as it skidded to a halt.

Simon coughed up dust, concerned for Izabell's wellbeing. The slime girl opened her eyes and sighed in relief after catching his. They got up slowly and looked around. Part of the wreckage was on fire, but the little flames present were burning themselves out. A large explosion shook the earth, and the fiery remains of the _MKII's_ other half were scattered everywhere.

The creeper boy shook his head. "That was all the gunpowder for the cannons. Shame."

Izabell ignored him and walked closer to the airship. "Valory? Church? Anderson?"

The General moved a board out of his way, getting up from the wreckage. "We're both here. Church just need rest."

The slime girl nodded and looked around. "Val?"

Loud coughing was heard from the other side of the wreckage, followed by a raspy voice. "Here. I'm okay. Just... too much dust."

Simon helped Valory walk to the other side, where Izabell wa treating a few minor wounds on Anderson and Church. "Is that it? I'm glad it wasn't any worse."

Izabell nodded. "Me too. Some of my potions broke in the bag. I only have three regen potions, two stamina recovery ones, and three instant health left."

Simon nodded, looking around after helping Valory sit down. The monsters all but ignored them mostly, going around the crumbling wood and rushing to fight the other soldiers. Something caught his eye, not too far from them. He could see Kailtin's flames rising into the sky from where he stood. Izabell finished treating the general and moved onto Valory.

Anderson got up, frowning. "What are we going to do now, boy? You're the one with all the bright ideas."

Simon chuckled, walking over tho the front of the _MKII's_ deck. It had turned into a wall for them when the airship crashed. "Do you have a sword?"

The general looked insulted. "Of course a I have a fucking sword."

Simon plucked the Gatling bow from its station, checking to see if it still worked. After verifying that it did, the creeper boy began sifting through boards. "Then use it. We're going to join the siege patrols and help Thomas."

Anderson crossed his arms. "Those were not our orders."

"We didn't receive orders for what to do if the airship went down," the creeper boy reminded him. He hummed in satisfaction, picking up a bag with arrow strips. "And we've got no choice other than to sit here with our arms crossed. So it's either we help the king and our friends, or we do nothing. Your call, General."

The general huffed, drawing his shortsword. He had seen Kaitlin's flames, and was now aware of the king's position. "Fine. Then let's go. The three of you, get up. We'll have to move quickly. Watch each other's backs and help them if necessary. Don't lag behind."

Simon threw the bag over his shoulder after having attached a makeshift sling to it, and picked up the Gatling bow from the ground. "I'm ready to go."

Izabell tightened the strip on her purse and nodded, helping Valory to her feet. Church had gotten up the second the order had left Anderson's mouth, drawing his own sword. The general nodded and rolled his shoulders. "Follow me. The king needs our help."

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Thomas cut down a skeleton and pushed farther. Kaitlin had been right about the last few ranks; they'd encountered cave spiders, wither skeletons, and more endermen. The blaze princess had slowed down, exhausted from all the running and fighting. The king hadn't seemed to notice, and did not slow down. Thomas asked Sarah to defend Kait while he went after Troyel.

Jack and Lady June were hot on his heels, as well as a couple of the remaining soldiers that were part of the siege patrols. In the beginning, it felt like the monsters were more focused on reaching the wall than in fighting the troops defending it. But after a while, they became more vicious, actively striking out at any soldiers they could reach.

Jack caught up to Thomas, crossbow hanging from a sling on his back and a shortsword in his hand. "Are you out?" the boy asked.

The stray shook his head. "Almost. I'm saving a few bolts for Darkness."

Lady June rushed past them, stabbing a wither skeleton in the eye before it could bring its sword down on Thomas. "Focus! We don't have time for chitchat!"

Both of them nodded, following the spider queen past the ranks of monsters. Thoma's armor was breaking, a few pieces already lost in the chaos. The chainmail beneath it didn't help much, but at least the wounds he had weren't mortal. Jack decapitated a wither skeleton and they continued to run.

Thomas blew out a skeleton's leg from underneath it with his sword, cutting the monster in half as it fell. Lady June stabbed monsters with her knives as if it were a chain reaction, going from one to the other fluidly. One of the soldiers tried to defend herself from an enderman, but the monster overpowered her. It yanked the sword out of her hand and crushed her head with its jaws, throwing the corpse away and roaring at the others.

Unnerved, the rest of the patrol shrank back. Then lady Cassidy threw a small contraption at the monster's head. It sprang open on contact, effectively becoming a muzzle. It was made with strong, thin metal poles with a string net. The spider queen and Thomas rushed forward, taking advantage of the monster's shock.

Lady June brought the monster down on one knee with her knives and Thomas swung his broadsword, taking the monster's head clean off. One of the soldiers had found his friend's body, holding his head in his hands over it. Lady June walke dover and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"She was brave to the very end. We will honor her memory, and avenge her death. But for now, our giref has to be put aside for the sake of the people."

The soldier nodded and got to his feet, picking his sword up from the ground. "Lead the way, milady."

The spider queen drew her knives again and started running again, and the rest of the patrol followed.

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The black demon stood under the shade of a tall oak atop a hill. A grim smile stretched his lips, sharp white teeth peeking from beneath them. He watched the show with glee, enjoying every aspect of it. The thundering sky, the shattered ground, the mass of fighting monsters and mobs. To the demon, the sight was wonderful. He could spot bursts of fire from the blaze princess poking over his monster's heads, telling him how far along they were.

But to Darkness's surprise, Troyel broke through the ranks of monsters with his broadsword. The skeleton king knocked a wither skeleton warrior to the ground before shoving the weapon through its face. The skeleton king took a few deep breaths before looking up at the black demon, who smiled back.

The king glared at him. "Darkness!" He pulled his sword from the ground, walking determinedly towards him. "How dare you attack my people? How dare you assault innocent civilians?"

The demon chuckled, shaking his head. "Why wouldn't I? Your people have sat on your thrones for long enough. I believe it to be my turn to rule the three realms."

King Troyel huffed, gripping his broadsword's handle with both hands. "You will rule over nothing more than the tar pit in which your corpse will be dumped."

Darkness summoned a fireball, playing with. "It looks like you're not aware of my reputation, Troyel." The black flames became a menacing scimitar, which the demon mirrored in his other hand. Darkness charged, and Troyel raised his sword to block the attack.

The demon smiled menacingly, pushing harder against the king's broadsword with his scimitars. "Dethroning monarchs is my favorite hobby."

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Theridas's POV

I brought my sword down on a zombie pigman and flinched away from an arrow that sailed past. Pepper and I had lost Ronaldo in all the commotion after a while, but we stayed together. The creeper woman had looked as if she enjoyed the fight at first, but now her lips formed a tight, stressed line. She was tired, just like me.

I got my breath back, partially, and raised my sword. Pepper took down another skeleton and came back to me. I swung at a spider that was about to jump on top of a soldier, splattering its... disgusting, burnt spider bits everywhere. The smell of rotten flesh and dead insect is bad, but when it burns... it smells even worse. The soldier thanked me before rejoining his patrol, out of sight.

Pepper pressed her back against mine, and I tensed. "I think we're in trouble, hun," she panted.

Monsters had circled us in from my side, and I was willing to bet they'd done the same thing on hers. I swung the fire sword at a pigman, only to have it break in half. The monster squealed in agony and fell backwards, dead.

I pressed up tighter against Pepper, dropping the useless hilt. "Yeah, I think so too."

"Ronaldo's going to owe me big for ditching us," she muttered. I raised my fists, feeling stupid as the monsters glared at us.

"Remember boxing practice?" Her question took me by surprise.

"Uh... yeah. Why?"

She began giving me quick instructions. "Fists higher, further from your face."

I did as was told, albeit hesitantly. "Why are you—"

The monsters started creeping in. "You don't have a sword anymore," she began. "And I can't spend the entire battle looking out for you. So I want you to be ready to defend yourself with your fists."

I nodded, feeling terrified. The monsters had actual weapons, and there were more of them. I was almost lost to panic before I heard Pepper's voice again. "You ready, hun?"

Her spark was there again. I could almost see her smile, despite staring in the opposite direction. I opened my fists and summoned fireballs, curling them again. The flames lit my gauntlets, and I got into position again. "Yes I am."

Almost as if they understood, the monsters roared, hissed and squealed before charging. I pulverized a skeleton's skull with a right jab, which surprised me, and knocked a pigman back with a left. We started turning as we went, taking down zombies, skeletons, and spiders. One of the hairy beasts jumped at me, and I killed it with an uppercut to the chin. Do spiders have chins?

More and more monsters piled up, and it got hard to knock all of them down. My heart jumped in my chest as I felt myself tripping on an unidentifiable chunk of metal. Pepper tried to help me with her back, but our armors didn't give me any traction and I fell anyway.

The monsters were on me in an instant. I could feel undead hands trying to pull off parts from my armor, trying to get at the defenseless, squishy blaze inside. Panic engulfed me, and I started shoving and kicking out like mad. I could also hear Pepper calling for me, struggling against her own attackers.

I closed my eyes, unable to do anything but keep the monsters away. I heard some sort of explosion, and most of their weight was lifted off me. I opened my eyes and shoved the charred corpse of a pigman off of me and sat up. The other monsters lay in smoking heaps around me, all as black as the pigman. I noticed that my gauntlets had broken, most likely from the heat and pressure of my flames. I had panicked, completely forgetting to keep them at bay, and that saved me.

Pepper was still fending off two wither skeletons, and I rushed to help her. The creeper woman knocked one out while I shoved a fireball into the other's helmet, causing it to explode. We stared at each other for a few seconds, catching our breath, before she enveloped me in a tight hug.

The beautiful creeper woman was holding back tears, holding me tighter and tighter. "That's the second time I thought I'd lose you today."

I hugged her back, smiling despite the onslaught around us. "For both our sakes, I hope it was the last."

Pepper sighed and took a step back, letting me go. "I guess... back into the fight we go."

I groaned, rolling my sore shoulders. "Yeah. Let's go, before desertion tempts us."

The creeper woman smiled, and I followed her back into the horde of monsters.

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3rd Person POV

A loud groaning sound caught Thomas's attention, and he turned to see the _MKII_ plummet to the ground. He stumbled for a moment, unable to take his eyes off the burning airship. It wasn't that far away... if he could just reach them...

Jack noticed suddenly that Thomas had stopped and he rushed back to him, shoving his way past monsters and silencing those that attacked. The stray pushed him forwards. "Hurry up! What're you looking at?"

The gunpowder charges in the MKII caught fire and blew up, jolting Thomas back to the present. He chased after Jack, feeling numb. "Simon's down."

The stray looked surprised, but he didn't stop running. "Really?"

Thomas nodded, and Jack sighed. "We don't have time to think about that. We'll find them once this is over."

Sarah and Kaitlin caught up to them at last, pushing through dozen of monsters, before all four reached Lady June. She and another soldier were all that was left of the siege patrols, fending off two wither skeletons and an enderman.

The blaze princess torched one of the skeletons, while Sarah dropped to her knees and slid beneath the enderman, stabbing it in the ankle with her hunting knife. Thomas shattered the other skeleton's head with a blow from his sword as the enderman roared and warped away.

Lady June didn't take a moment to rest; she just kept running. The six mobs pushed their way through, until at last the spider queen dropped to her knees, exhausted. Jack killed a wither skeleton and bent down with her. "Slow down, Lady June. It'll do no good to anyone if you're out of the fight before it's begun."

The spider nodded, getting up slowly. "I know. But we have to reach Troyel."

Thomas heard something that caught his attention. He turned in the direction of the... voices? He barely had time to avoid an arrow that flew straight towards him. The monsters nearby turned towards the sound, and were swiftly executed. General Anderson pushed his way through the ranks with his sword, destroying a wither skeleton that stood in his way. Behind him were Private Church, Val, Izabel, and Simon.

The boy smiled at them, feeling relieved. The creeper boy was lugging around one of his Gatling bows, and promptly dumped it on the ground.

"Empty," he told him.

Thomas shook his head. "At least it got you this far."

Anderson frowned at the siege patrol. "Where's General Griffin? And King Troyel? And... the rest of the fucking patrols?"

Lady June took a deep breath and stood straighter. "Troyel went ahead. Griffin and the others are dead."

The general nodded. "Then we must avenge them. No time to waste."

The group got ready and continued their desperate sprint through the sea of monsters. Sarah ran alongside Izabell. "How did you find us?"

"Simon saw Kaitlin's fire from where we crashed," she explained. "And General Anderson led us through the horde all the way to you."

The skeleton girl gave Izabell a slight nod of understanding and pushed forward. They were only three ranks of monsters away from the plains when the three dozen or so of them turned to face the patrol. They snarled menacingly, drawing their weapons. Our heroes formed a circle, keeping an eye on every monster. They were tired to no end, but that wouldn't stop them.

A pigman squealed, ordering the other monsters to attack. Spiders and wither skeletons rushed towards them, and were met by the the siege patrol's blades. Lady June executed five arachnid threats, keeping a skeleton warrior off Izabell. Simon had lent the slime girl one of his shortswords, using the other to defend himself. Valory used her new spear's ability to her advantage, beheading monsters from a distance and stabbing those that got close.

The monsters didn't relent. For every one the patrol managed to slay, two more would arrive from the ranks. Despite being an expert in ranged and melee combat, Sarah had trouble keeping monsters off herself and her friends. Her hunting knife wasn't enough to deal with so many enemies at once. Eventually, they became too much, and the skeleton girl was pushed onto the ground with a yelp.

A wither skeleton raised its sword, staring with empty eye sockets at the fallen warrior. Thomas whirled around at the sound of her voice, eyes widening in horror. "Sarah!"

Something bounced off the skeleton's armor. The monster turned its head only to have a shurikens thrown at its face. The monster roared and was silenced by Adrian, who brought his broadsword down on it. Lila rolled into view, skidding to a halt and offering a hand to Sarah.

The two newcomers helped the siege patrol finish the horde of monsters. Adrian walke dup to Thomas, who looked more than relieved to see him. The boy was clinging tightly to Sarah, not wanting to let go anytime soon. "Thank you, guys. How'd you find us in between of all this chaos?"

"Nightsky told me to come," the wither skeleton answered. "She said you needed help, and told me where to go. I'm glad she did as well. You certainly needed us."

Thomas sighed, holding Sarah tighter still and rubbing her arm. The skeleton girl muttered her discomfort with being 'cuddled in public', but Thomas ignored her complaints. "Yeah. I can't argue with that."

Lady June took a few deep breaths and stood straight. "Is everyone ready to continue?"

Izabell gave a potion to Kaitlin and the other soldier, both of which looked to be the most exhausted, and closed her potion purse again. "Give them a second for the potion to start its effect. They'll be fit to continue soon."

The spider queen grimaced. "We don't have a second to spare. If you are able, follow us. If not, stay behind with the medic."

Kaitlin and the soldier, private Hunter, took their own deep breaths and got up from the ground. "We can keep going, milady," the private assured.

Lady June nodded. "Good. Then let us push through. King Troyel needs our help."

Jack huffed, raising his sword again. "If he hasn't killed himself yet," he muttered.

If she heard him, the queen gave no sign. She simply turned around and continued fighting the monsters that shambled and then rushed towards them. The siege patrol, now almost back to its original size, pushed its way through monster after monster, only slowing down to fend off a horde of attackers. A ghast spotted them from above, and it ceased its attack on one of the airships to target them.

The flying white monster breathed fire charges at the patrol, blowing up other monsters and lighting them on fire in the process. Sarah once again cursed herself for spending all of her arrows. "Jack! This one's all yours!"

The stray didn't need to be told twice. Jack sheathed his shortsword and pulled his crossbow from its sling, aiming the powerful weapon at their airborne assailant. He fired a single bolt at it, the proyectile swiftly hitting its mark; one of the big ugly red eyes of the beast. The ghast shrieked and spasmed before plummeting to the ground and crushing more of its fellow monsters.

Jack hummed and put away the crossbow, drawing his sword again and cutting down yet another wither skeleton. A spider suddenly brought private Hunter to the ground. The soldier screamed in surprise, trying to push the armored critter off him. Valory swung her spear in his direction, releasing its head. The diamond tip wrapped itself around one of the spider's many legs, and she pulled it away from the downed private.

Hunter stabbed the spider through the head with his shortsword before it could retaliate against Valory, and got to his feet. "Thank you," the man muttered.

Val yanked the spearhead off the spider, and it reattached itself with a click. "You're welcome. We need to hurry or Lady June will leave us behind."

The two of them rushed to catch up, and helped the rest of the patrol finish off more monsters. "Come on!" the spider queen urged. "We're almost there! One more push!"

A final wave of wither skeletons assaulted them. Thomas and Adrian were locked against their own opponents, while the others paired up to fend them off. Lila circled one on her skates, throwing shuriken after shuriken at it, and Sarah gave the killing blow. Private Church and Private Hunter brought one down, but not before the monster could leave a gash on Hunter's upper arm with its sword. The soldier crouched on the ground, holding his injured arm.

Izabell kneeled down to help him, taking out bandages and a pink potion from her purse. Adrian took down the final skeleton, and then they were through. The green plains stretched before them, trampled by thousands of monster feet. And a short distance away, they could see the skeleton king fighting Darkness.

Lady June spotted him, and it looked like she had recovered in that split second. "Anderson, Thomas! With me, now! If the rest of you are able, follow. Take Hunter somewhere you can treat him before you do so," she told Izabell.

The slime girl nodded. "I will, your highness."

"Good. Now come on!" She whirled around and rushed towards king Troyel and the black demon. Simon stayed behind to help Izabell and private Hunter while the rest of the patrol chased after Lady June.

Sparks flew from Troyel's sword at Darkness swung one of his black-as-night scimitars at him. The demon was fast, faster than any other opponent the skeleton king had ever faced, and just as strong as himself. The only thing Troyel had been able to do was block or dodge the attacks as he searched for an opening.

Darkness enjoyed the fight. He pushed Troyel to his knees, and the old bat had gotten up by spinning in place with his sword stretched forwards. This was a worthy opponent, a warrior who had earned the title of king. And now it was time for that title to be stripped from him.

But out of the corner of his eyes, Darkness spotted Thomas and the siege patrol. The wicked smile on the demon's face faltered for a split second before widening. "What do we have here? Do you see them, Troyel?"

The demon jumped back, moving so his back was to the patrol rushing towards him. The skeleton king's eyes locked onto Lady June's, and he gripped his broadsword tight enough for his knuckles to turn white. "You are outmatched," the king said. "Surrender, demon, and your death will be quick."

Darkness laughed heartily, circling Troyel slowly. "Outmatched? No, I think this battle just became fair. Shame, really; I wanted to finish you off quickly and leave Lady June a sobbing wreck. She'd be an easy kill in such a state."

The king huffed. "I suppose you underestimated me, then. Because I am still standing."

The black demon twirled his blades in his hands before holding them upright again. "A mistake I intend to correct."

Darkness lunged, swinging both scimitars in an outward 'x' followed by three more strikes. King Troyel blocked the blows with his broadsword, pushing the demon back. Lila rushed forwards on her skates, throwing shurikens at Darkness as she neared.

The demon blocked them with one sword while the other parried Troyel's attempt at an attack. Jack pulled his crossbow from its sling and fired three bolts at Darkness. Only one of them landed, the other two having been blocked yet again. Lady June let out a battle cry as she reached Darkness, swinging at the demon with her knives blade down.

Darkness sidestepped and parried the spider queen's attacks, knocking King Troyel back with a fierce blow. The rest of the siege patrol reached them, and one by one they piled up against the black demon. Darkness laughed, knocking Private Church to the ground. "Now this is a fight!" He roared, elbowing Adrian and raking the black sword diagonally across his armor. Kaitlin hung back nervously, not wanting to hurt her friends with stray fireballs.

Simon watched from under a nearby birch tree, waiting for Izabell to give him the all clear. The slime girl had been unsettlingly quiet, redressing wounds and giving private Hunter doses of a regen potion. Until eventually, she sighed in relief. "He'll recover," she told Simon. "But he's weak. I'll stay behind to keep an eye on him, you go help the others."

She picked up Hunter's sword, giving Simon his other blade back. "Don't worry. The monsters are moving farther away from us. I'll be fine. Our friends need your help."

The creeper boy stared at Izabell for a moment before taking the sword and stealing a kiss from the slime girl. "Stay safe, then. I'll be back once Darkness has been dealt with." Izabell nodded, and Simon rushed towards the rest of the patrol with his shortswords trailing behind him. The boy counted off his supplies in his head. 'Two spikes, three sticks, two flares... dammit, everything else was on the MKII.'

Darkness knocked Lady June to the ground with a savage blow, and Simon ran in to take her place. The creeper boy rushed past the demon, cutting him with his shortswords. Darkness growled, pushing everyone out of his way to reach Simon.

"You annoying boy!" The demon brought down one sword, and Simon narrowly avoided the attack.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he yelled back, parrying the demon's attacks.

Valory pulled Darkness back from Simon with her spear, and the demon whirled around to cut the string it was attached to. Simon took the opportunity and stabbed the demon's back with one of his 'spike-enades', leaving the explosive device lodged there. Darkness roared, quickly pulling off the high explosive and throwing it away seconds before it detonated.

"Your trick failed again, creeper," he growled.

Jack shot at Darkness a couple more times before rushing in with his shortsword. The demon parried every blow and landed some of his own. Thomas shoved Darkness from the side, causing the demon to stumble back. His black eyes brightened and the smile returned when he saw him.

"Brother. It's been so long since we've had a proper fight." One of Darkness's scimitars went up in flames, and the other became an imitation of the obsidian sword Thomas was using. "It's a shame it will be our last."

Thomas glared at him. "Only because you won't be around for a rematch."

The demon brought his sword down, and Thomas sidestepped before swinging and knocking Darkness back. The demon swung his sword upwards, almost catching Thomas's face with its blade. The boy swung again, but this time Darkness was ready. He spun twice before Thomas could retaliate, hitting him in the chest while the boy was vulnerable.

Sarah stabbed Darkness's leg with her knife, almost tripping the demon in the process. Darkness ducked just in time to avoid a blow to the head from King Troyel, and he sidestepped out of Valory's effective range. Lila hit him with two shurikens, and Jack got another shot off before he ran out of crossbow bolts. The demon parried attacks and avoided proyectiles, landing a few hits here and there.

Kaitlin had finally shaken off her worry and began torching the demon with flames and fireballs. Whenever she attacked, the rest of the patrol would get out of her way so as to not get cooked. Darkness did his best to block her attacks with his own black fire, essentially creating a flame shield. The demon's armor protected him from most of our heroe's attacks, but eventually it became too much even for him.

Adrian knocked the sword out of Darkness's hands, and the demon sealed himself under a ball of fire. Everyone stepped back, not taking their eyes off it. Inside, the demon looked around, catching his breath. King Troyel shouted at him. "Face us, you coward!"

Darkness smiled, and the fireball began to shrink. Kaitlin knew this move, as her self-defense teacher had taught it to her in the nether. "Everyone step back!"

But before they could react, the fireball exploded, a shockwave of black flames passing through them. It knocked Sarah, Valory and Jack to the ground, and brought the others to their knees. In a heartbeat, Darkness stood before king Troyel with his broadsword raised. "Gladly."

The skeleton king raised his sword just enough to make Darkness's blade slide off awkwardly. He pushed himself back, tryin to stand back up, but the demon didn't give him time to do so. Vicious attacks rained down on Troyel, and the king could barely keep up. He parried an attack with his sword only to have it knocked out of his hand.

The rest of the patrol were just staring to get up, painfully finding their balance. Darkness swung, crippling the king's left knee, and with the momentum gave Troyel a backhand blow that knocked him flat on his back. The skeleton king groaned. Darkness walked up to him, planting his sword firmly on the right side of Troyel's chest, where a gash had been opened in his armor.

King Troyel up at the demon, who smiled wickedly down at him. "You're a good warrior, Troyel."

Darkness pushed his broadsword down slowly. The skeleton king writhed beneath him, a tortured shout of pain escaping the man's lips. The demon knelt down to look Troyel in the eye. "But now it's time to relieve you of duty."

Lady June watched in horror. Then the spider queen picked herself up and lunged at Darkness. "No! Get off him you unholy spirit!"

The demon whirled around, blocking the spider queen's swipes and backing off. Simon rushed Darkness from the side, but the demon parried the blows, pushing the creeper boy back. Thomas brought his sword down, barely managing to scratch the black demon's armor as he jumped back. Jack ran in, locking swords with the demon, who spun clockwise to keep everyone back.

Kaitlin shot flames from her hands, holding the demon in place for a few seconds before he summoned a wall of fire to defend himself. Valory attacked Darkness with her spear, managing to leave a scratch on the demon's cheek, and Lila threw more shurikens at him. Lady June tried to hold the demon and stab his back, but Darkness shook her off and parried Jack's attack.

The demon ducked to avoid a blow from Adrian, flinging a fireball in Sarah's direction. The skeleton girl dodged it and tried to fight back, only to receive a shallow gash across her midsection. Thomas shoved the demon back, and Darkness growled. The black demon spun his sword and swung it at Thomas, almost knocking the obsidian blade out of the boy's hand.

Darkness tried to follow up his attack with another, but Lady June got in the way. The spider queen used her knives to redirect the attack towards the softened earth, where the sword got lodged. She pushed him back away from it, and the demon summoned a fireball in each hand. Valory once again used her spear to hold Darkness, pulling him back by the wrist.

The demon turned to cut the string, but Simon ran in and knocked out Darkness's left leg from underneath him. The demon stumbled and fell on one knee, glaring at the creeper boy. Jack swung his shortsword at Darkness's head, and the demon turned just in time to protect his face with the black helmet he wore. The impact pushed Darkness to the ground, and everyone pounced before he could get up.

Lady June used one of the spiderweb traps on his hand, keeping the demon from summoning fire and pinning his forearm to the ground with one of her large knives, making him shout in pain and outrage. Simon crossed his swords and planted them on either side of his left leg, capturing that too. Sarah and Adrian secured Darkness's right leg, Valory still held his arm with Lila's help, and Kaitlin stood nearby with fireballs at the ready.

The demon tried to overpower the spiders, but Thomas placed a firm foot on the demon's shoulder, pointing his blade at Darkness's neck. All of them were quiet for a moment, simply glaring at the demon as he glared back while before them the massive battle between Darkness's monsters and the people of Veridon went on.

"We won, Darkness," Thomas finally said. "We've pinned you to the ground, and you have no way out. Give up."

Darkness glared on for a few moments. Then he closed his eyes and chuckled, a grim smile blooming on his face. "Nobody's won yet, brother, except for me. Look around you."

Jack had left his friends and knelt over king Troyel, staring at the man's pained face. "Your king is dying. Your people are dying."

Inside Veridon, endermen lay waste to both soldiers and civil Liam's. There were too many of them. A tall apartment building crumbled, crushing the remains of a patrol before Lady Cassidy's very eyes. "Why would I give up in only the first quarter?"

The demon leaned forward, inching closer to Thomas. "The end marks the beginning."

Adrian suddenly shrank back, holding his head and groaning in pain. Lila left Valory's side to help the wither skeleton as he crumbled. "Adrian! What's wrong!"

The poor boy was breathing heavily, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. "I-It's Nightsky. She... She needs help."

Thomas turned to look back at Darkness, who's smile had gotten wider. "Spirits and humans have that in common. They both fall easily to deception."

Then Darkness turned to dust, his ashes being carried away by the tortured wind over the battlefield. Simon sat back, staring at the thundering sky. "It was a shadow. The asshole tricked us."

Lady June stared at the ground where she had Darkness's arm pinned just moments ago before get up hastily and stumbling over to where the skeleton king lay. Troyel was fighting to stay conscious, each breath making him long for death more and more. Excruciating pain was the only thing he could feel until he finally saw Jack through his veil of hatred and tears.

King Troyel blinked. "J-Jack?"

The stray nodded, wiping tears from his cheeks. "Yeah. I'm here, unc."

Troyel nodded, heaving a sigh. "Forgive me. You are... m-much too... young, to carry this... this burden."

With shaking hands, the dying king took off his crown and placed it in Jack's hands. "You said... you'd f-forgiven me. But I hadn't... forgiven myself. Y-you've proven yourself t-to be a... fierce warrior... and a merciful man. I can only hope... th-that as you grow up... you become a much better king."

Lady June reached them and took Troyel's hand in hers. Tears ran down her face, and her words were barely understandable between sobs. "Hang tight, Troy. You'll be alright. We just need to get the medic over here."

King Troyel took a shuddering breath. "D-don't... don't cry, June. I must... apologize to you too."

The spider queen shook her head. "No, Troy. You don't have to apologize for anything."

A coughing fit wracked the king's body, and it took him a moment to speak again. "I do. You've... done so much for me. And I never... paid you back. I'm sorry that... I couldn't be... the man you dreamed of. Forgive me... for being so... cold-hearted... for pushing you away..."

Lady June held Troyel's hands tighter. "No. Don't apologize. And you still have time to... mend your mistakes. You'll heal, Troy. It'll be fine,"

The skeleton king shook his head, gasping for breath for a couple seconds, before heaving another sigh. "I don't believe that, June. You don't either. I've been... a terrible man. If only I could ask for forgiveness... from everyone I've wronged..."

"There'd be a long waiting line," the stray joked sadly. King Troyel smiled, closing his eyes.

"Don't changes Jack. Wh-when... a man changes... there is usually... no... way back..." Troyel's breathign started becoming shallower by the second. Until at last he heaved a last breath. "Don't make the same mistakes I did, b-boy. Don't... ever change."

The skeleton king's chest rose, and then fell for the last time. Lady June cried softly, pressing her forehead against Troyel's rapidly cooling own. Jack simply sat over his uncle's body, staring numbly at the crown in his hand. Thomas watched as everyone else gathered around the three of them, paying their respects to the fallen king. Lila helped Adrian get to his feet, and they too joined the others.

Thomas felt... hollow. Numb, and terrified, and deeply saddened. He'd failed. The monsters were still ravaging Veridon. The skeleton king had died. Darkness was still loose.

_The end marks the beginning._

Darkness's words swam in the boy's head. _The end marks the beginning_. A deep sigh escaped Thomas, and he sat down on the grass with the obsidian sword planted in the earth. He was tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of all the sorrow and death. But it wasn't over yet. He had to stay strong. Or the overworld could fall into the black demon's hands.

But... was he ever strong enough to beat Darkness?

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Author's Notes

Whew. I... forgot how good it felt to write. And how emotional I get while writing these last scenes. Might need a minute...

How was the overall structure of the chapter? It was pretty hard for me to create this big chaotic fight scene, there was a lot going on, and it was kind of hard to focus on all of it. Constructive criticism is very much appreciated.

Also, I will definitely try harder to publish the next one faster. It won't be as long as this one (I don't think I'll be writing another one as long in a while...) but it will finally wrap up our story.

Also also, this is now my longest chapter, at over 10k words long. And I am very proud of that. :D

Thank you all so much for your time, patience, and support. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


	63. The End

Author's Notes

This is it. We made it, fellas. The final (for real this time) chapter of our story. I had an idea at the beginning, a sort of vision for what I wanted the story to become. And even with my hyperactive imagination, I never thought it would get this far, or that it would turn out like this.

Now, Reviews!

ThinMint, thank you! Heh, I'm very glad you liked it! She will certainly try. Sadly, we do. Thank you again! And thank you for your amazing support!

GiggiEba, yes, not right now. I was all over the place with that chapter, and if I added Eba, then that would be another loose end to incorporate, and that would've killed me. :P I'm glad you liked it! Sorry for the long wait, but here it is at last.

actionpotato112, well, thank you very much. Glad I exceeded your expectations. :D

Your input (yes, all of you who reviewed) shaped the story into what it is. I might not have gotten past halfway through without your incredible support and ideas. Well... now, on with the story!

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3rd Person POV

The group sat in silence, watching the raging battle with the monsters below. Lady June sat hunched over the body of king Troyel with quiet tears still rolling down her face. Jack had placed a comforting hand on the spider queen's shoulder while the other one held the late king's crown. The others had stepped back to let them grieve peacefully, despite there being nothing peaceful about their surroundings.

Adrian had been writhing on the ground, until he eventually fainted. The boy woke up recently to find his head laying on Lila's lap as the spider caressed it in an effort to comfort him wherever he had gone. There was something the wither skeleton had to say, but he was unable to. He just needed a little more rest.

Sarah sat down next to Thomas after paying her respects to the king Troyel, and had caught the boy sort of zoned out of it. Lost. She waited for a moment, and eventually Thomas blinked his way back and stared at her in surprise. The skeleton girl had smiled reassuringly, and Thomas had gripped her hand. He whispered something she didn't quite catch, and had placed his head on her shoulders. It scared her; Thomas looked... defeated.

Izabell had come over with private Hunter so he could pay his respects. She'd watched the battle with a frantic heart, fearing the worst for all her friends. Now the slime girl sat with Simon under the shade of a tall oak tree. She had checked everyone over, making sure they had no lethal wounds and healing all minor ones. Even the creeper boy looked lost.

Kaitlin and Valory sat on either side of Lila while she waited for Adrian to wake up, and now they were staring at the battle still raging on at the foot of Veridon's wall. The blaze princess played with her flames at an effort to distract herself, and Valory did the same with her webs. The clouds roared overhead, as did the monsters below, but the gang felt too numb to notice.

Eventually, Valory dropped the mess of webs on the floor and turned to look at her friends. "So that's it? We're just going to stand here, watching the city get torn to shreds? We're simply going to give up?"

Thomas nodded sadly, not looking the spider in the eye. "What else can we do?"

Sarah looked taken aback for a second, and then her face became a look of determination. She got to her feet, pulling Thomas with her. "We can help the other soldiers. We can help defend the civilians. Don't just give up, Tom. We can't give up yet."

The boy scoffed, his eyes fillled with self-hate. "Don't you see? I failed! I'm useless. There was one... one single thing, I had to do. The only reason why I exist in the first place. All I had to do was kill Darkness. That's it. And I failed. The king's dead, lots of soldiers have died, and Darkness is still who-knows-where."

It seemed that Sarah had expected this, that she had guessed this was the problem. She pulled him closer, staring the boy in the eye. "You don't exist just to fulfill a purpose. And just because you couldn't accomplish that goal doesn't mean you're 'useless'."

Thomas drew away from the skeleton girl, but she didn't let him go. "So we failed. We lost the king, and we didn't kill darkness. But there is no reason for us to stop fighting. We need to help Lady Cassidy and King Adam, and the hundred other soldiers fighting this war. I will not let you give up, now or ever."

The boy stared at her. Then he heaved a sigh, straightening up. "You're right. Why are you always right?"

Sarah stretches up and pecked in the lips. "Because I believe in you, even when you don't."

Jack got up, placing the late king's crown on his chest, and looked around. "So then... what are we going to do? We'll never be able to get past the monsters again, not without losing someone else. The skeleton clan doesn't have a king anymore. If we even make it back into Veridon, morale will hit the floor like an anvil."

Lady June heaved a shuddering breath and cleaned a few remaining tears from her face. She picked up Troyel's crown and stood up. "You're wrong, Jack. The skeleton clan does have a king."

She lifted the crown above Jack's head, staring solemnly at the stray. "Troyel Reedly, former king of skeletons, gave his life bravely in battle. His last wish was to help those he had wronged, and to pass the mantle as king to to you."

Jack suddenly gripped lady June's wrist, looking scared and surprised. "I-I can't. This... that's his crown."

The spider queen smiled sadly at the stray. "And now it is yours. Prince Jack Reedly, do you accept the late king's gift, and agree to carry the weight of his crown?"

The stray looked at the body of his uncle lying on the grass. He looked so peaceful now that Lady June had cleaned his armor, and moved both his hands to rest on the man's chest. Jack sighed and turned to face lady June. "I, prince Jack Reedly, accept his gift, and will carry his crown's weight."

The spider queen gently placed the crown on Jack's head, and stood back. "Then with the lords as witnesses, I, Lady June Willow, crown you King Jack Reedly of the skeletons."

The monarch gave him a bow, as did Sarah and Private Hunter. Jack returned the bow and smiled half-heartedly. "Well... that's... one problem solved."

Simon got up, counting the explosives in his hoodie. "I know where that demon's gone."

Everyone turned to look at the creeper boy in surprise. "You do?" Izabell asked. Thomas took a step closer. "Where?"

"The End." Adrian got to his feet slowly, with the help of a now even more shocked Lila. The wither skeleton's voice was tired and a little raspy. "He's attacking Nightsky, the enderdragon."

Simon nodded. "'The end marks the beginning'. He had the shadow, and the army, distract us for long enough so he could reach the End. Adrian has a special connection with Nightsky, which is how he knows and why he collapsed earlier."

"She needs help," the wither skeleton urged.

Lady June frowned. "Without the enderdragon, the hidden End citadel will be left undefended."

"Hidden End citadel?" Lila asked. "There's a hidden city in the End?"

The spider queen nodded. Adrian stretched a little, wincing as he did so. "But that doesn't matter right now. We need to help Nightsky, as soon as possible."

"Well, do we have a nearby End portal around here?" Jack asked.

"The only functioning End portal is in the endermen's care," Lady June told them. "Only Lady Cassidy and her most trusted high-ranking officers know where it is."

"And Lady Cassidy is on the other side of the wall," Lila added grimly. "We've already discussed how impossible it would be to go back through the horde to Veridon. So how are we going to get in touch with Lady Cassidy?"

Simon helped Izabell to her feet and walked over to Valory. "Could you call Falconheart over?"

The spider raised an eyebrow. "I can. But why?"

The creeper boy lifted Val's arm on which she wore the gauntlet he made her and pointed at the slip of paper and pencil attached. "I want to send a mutual friend of ours a message."

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Eba's POV

The Auikyani shuddered every time one of General Hendershot's men fired a cannon. I could tell from the way it groaned that this airship was not entirely suitable for combat. And still, we hadn't been brought down. There was only us and four other airships left, five lying in ruins on the ground. I didn't see them from here, but I hoped that my friends were on one of the remaining airships.

It was very stressful to pilot the airship. Fireballs exploded all around us, I could hear arrows sticking to the bottom of the ship, and endermen sometimes teleported aboard. Often, they would stumble and fall right off, having teleported onto a moving object high up in the sky.

Blight had been helping me with piloting, noticing things I didn't in the nick of time, and giving me the strength to not curl up in a ball and hide from all this. And even with his help, my hands shook whenever I took them off the wheel to adjust our height or speed, and I could feel the sounds of battle slowly overwhelming me.

A shrill cry made me jump, and I turned in time to see Valory's phantom perch itself on a piece of railing next to me, its armor clinking a little. I stared at it in surprise, and the monster cried again.

_What does it want?_

_I don't speak phantom. Maybe it wants you to follow it._

_Wouldn't it be flying if that was the case?_

_True... maybe it has a message for you. Check its leg._

"Um..." I stretched my hand out towards Falconheart. It is a big phantom, and its beady little green eyes were staring me down, almost challenging. I touched the edge of its armored wing, and the monster didn't seem to mind. I slowly lifted the leathery appendage and found a note strapped to his leg.

Falconheart tilted his head as I reached for the note. I swallowed and pulled the rolled-up paper from his leg. "Please don't bite me..."

I quickly jerked away from him once the note was free. The phantom simply chirped gruffly, shaking its wings a little. I opened the note and read it.

'Eba,

We need you to pick us up. Long story short, Darkness duped us and we need to talk to lady Cassidy. We're atop one of the hills past all the monsters. Follow Falconheart there. Be quick.

Simon.'

I blinked at the note a couple times. _At least you know your friends are alive_, Blight 'muttered'.

_Yeah. They need our help, though._

_Then tell the general we'll be changing course_.

I dropped the note. "General! General!"

Hendershot turned around after a few tries. "What is it?" His eyes widened when he saw Falconheart. "Where did that phantom come from?"

"My frie-"

_Tell him lady June asked for help. He won't care about your friends, and spiders are supposed to have phantom companions._

_Oh. Okay._

I cleared my throat. "Lady June sent a message. We have to go help her, and my friends. The phantom will lead us to them."

The general nodded. "Then do so."

I gingerly nudged Falconheart away. "Well... go. Go, uh... take us to Valory."

The monster cried loudly, making me jump, and took off. It flew over general Hendershot's head and beyond, leading us towards the edge of the plains. I pushed the Auikyani to its top speed, straining to see Falconheart as he left us behind.

_Can you see him?_

_Don't worry. I'll tell you where he is._

I felt some of his rot-sand crawl over my back and rise above my head, pointing forward and a little to the left.

_Follow the arrow._

I nodded, turning us slightly, and thanking the lords for getting us away from most of the fighting.

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Simon's POV

We waited rather impatiently for Falconheart to return with Eba. I counted my explosives for the umpteenth time (one spike, three sticks, two flares), Valory practiced using her spear (with the remaining head), Sarah and Jack complained about having no ammunition (Private Hunter gave the skeleton girl some of his arrows), Izabell looked everyone over again (finding no new injuries), and everyone else just stood there.

Lila helped Adrian find his footing after he stumbled while trying to pace. Eventually, the wither skeleton regained his balance and strength in his legs. Lady June sharpened and cleaned her knives over and over again. Eventually, a steady thrumming neared us. I looked up to see one of the airships veering away from the battlefront, heading towards us. Even from this far away, I could tell it was the Auikyani.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and got up, watching as the airship sailed towards us. Falconheart was in front of it (Which by the way was surprising and a little infuriating; how could an airship not catch up to a phantom?), and once they were close enough he shrieked and dove, landing on Valory's welcoming and guatleted forearm.

The airship slowed to a stop above us and a rope ladder was dropped. One of the late king's generals and his men slid down the ladder, while eba teleported to the ground. They stared at the fallen king's body and started bombarding us with questions.

"We have no time for this," Lady June told them firmly. "King Troyel died in battle, at the hands of the wretched demon that sparked this war."

The general (Hendershot, I think) glared at the spider queen. "You should have messaged for us earlier! We could've killed the demon before it killed Troyel!"

The queen shook her head. "Darkness is clever. He was never here in person; we fought a shadow, and that gave the real Darkness time to reach the End. Even with your help, the outcome would have been the same."

Eba frowned. "How do you know he's in the End?"

Adrian took a step forward. "I have a... connection with Nightsky. Darkness is attacking the enderdragon, which means he found the End."

"This also means we must reach the End ourselves," Lady June told them. "However, only lady Cassidy knows where the portal is located. This is why we called for you; we cannot reach the enderman queen safely on foot."

Eba stared at the airship uncertainly. "I don't think the Auikyani will be able to lift all of us. It can only carry ten people at a time."

"Six with all the artillery in place," I corrected. "We'd have to remove at least one cannon and its ammunition to safely transport ten people."

Lady June thought this over. "And if you remove both cannons, how many people could you carry?"

"Without the weight of the cannons or ammunition, it should be able to lift twelve people," I answered.

"That will have to be enough." The spider queen turned to face the general. "Hendershot, and you Anderson, will have to stay behind with your men. Private Hunter will come with me and the rest of King Jack's friends aboard the ship. Understood?"

The skeleton generals looked like they wanted to protest, but they agreed to stay. "Very well, Lady June." "We will help the other soldiers in battle."

"Thank you." The monarch turned to the ship's captain. "Miss Eba, was it? Take us back to Veridon."

The endergirl nodded, pointing at the ladder. "Climb on."

She warped to the wheel while we went up the rope ladder. Onc eup there, Thomas and I started dumping the cannons and ammunition overboard. For good measure, I removed one of the Gatling bows as well. Izabell helped private Hunter get onboard, and the airship's propellers began thrumming again.

We turned around completely, and Eba cranked the engine to eleven. The Auikyani sailed far above the monsters as we gunned it to Veridon. Using the last Gatling bow, I popped any and all fireballs thrown at us by the remaining ghasts and blazes. Within twenty minutes, we entered the city's skies, heading towards the airfield. Veridon was a mess. There were explosions, crumbling buildings, and fire everywhere. Seemingly in every street, fights broke out between the assaulting monsters and lady Cassidy's men.

We slowed to a stop in the middle of the empty airfield, and we all got off as quickly as we could. "I didn't see lady Cassidy," the spider queen told us. "She must be in a pod, or we've lost the war entirely. Come on!"

Lady June led us away from the airfield and into the city. Everyone drew their weapons so we wouldn't be caught off guard and defenseless. There were endermen on the roofs of buildings, simply staring at the carnage below. I pointed them out to the gang.

"Possibly scouts," I told them. "We gotta watch out for those. Sarah, Jack, you two know this city. Lead us through covered paths if you can."

The skeleton girl and stray nodded, and I slowed down to let them take the lead. We ran into the city, passing through creeper holes carved in the walls and empty alleyways. Eba informed us of any new scouts she (or most likely, Blight) noticed. The skeleton cousins changed course accordingly, and we reached the closest pod in about twenty more minutes.

We entered one by one, very quickly and quietly, since there was an enderman staring at us from above. We passed by whenever it looked away, and were thankfully not caught. I came in last, earning a tight hug from Izabell. The pod was not very well lit. A single torch hung from the barrack's wall, and there were at least ten people in the crowded space not including all of us.

Three people were medics, tending to the wounds of soldiers and civilians on the ground. Two people were lying on the floor, covered from head to toe in white blankets. Lady Cassidy sat on a bench, leaning against the wall with her eyes closed as one of the medics looked her over.

Izabell approached one of the doctors, whom I recognized to be the head medic, Freud. "What can I do to help?"

The zombie smiled grimly. "Sadly, not much. We've done all we can to help these soldiers."

The spider queen walked up to him. "We must speak with Lady Cassidy."

Freud heaved a sigh. "She's weak. I don't know what made her think she could fight a war at her age, as hard as she tries to hide it. We've given her a stamina recovery potion, but it's taking its sweet time to kick in."

"This is urgent, and it won't take too long," Lady June assured him.

Freud stared at the tired enderman queen and huffed. "Alright. Come on."

The medic led us around the wounded and toward the far wall where Lady Cassidy sat. The zombie sat down slowly beside her. "Your highness, Lady June wants a word with you."

The elderly enderwoman opened her eyes and gave us a tired smile. "Hello, June."

The spider queen smiled back. "Hello, Cassidy. I... have very unfortunate news."

Lady Cassidy sighed. "It seems to be the only kind of news that circle during wartime."

"Yes... I would share every detail with you, but alas we are short on time. Darkness is in the End, and the enderdragon is at risk. We need you to tell us where the end portal is located so we may go end that demon once and for all."

The enderman queen stared at Lady June for a moment before her gaze landed on Jack. Or, more specifically, on the crown atop the stray's head. She looked at lady June for another second before nodding. "There is much to talk about. I can tell you where it is, but not here. Demons listen."

Freud stopped her from rising. "You should rest, Queen. Give the potion time to do its thing."

Lady Cassidy shook her head and waved the medic away. "This is much more important than my health. Let's step into the reception office, June."

The spider queen nodded, and both monarchs walked around the people on the floor towards a door opposite to the one we came in from. They slipped out and closed the door behind them. The gang settled in the few spaces left in the barracks. I leaned against the wall, counting my explosives yet again.

Izabell tapped Freud's shoulder. "Sorry, But... could you spare supplies? I only have a few healing potions left, and a single stamina recovery. I could give you bandages if you need them."

The head medic frowned for a moment. "I think we can give you some potions. And thank you, but we don't need the bandages. We have plenty here. I made sure all the pods were stashed with medical supplies before the battle began. Help yourself; they are in the foot lockers under bags of dirty laundry."

The slime girl nodded and walk over to the laundry bags next to the entrance. A medic was speaking to a couple of soldiers in hushed tones. The skeletons started getting up slowly, much to the medic's distress.

"You still need more rest," she urged them quietly. "It will do no one any help if you faint in the middle of the street."

"And it'll do no help for us to stay in here either," one of the soldiers told her sharply.

The other one nodded in agreement. "I'd rather die out there than picture my brothers and sisters in arms doing so in my place."

The medic stuttered for a few moments before sighing. "Very well. But drink these."

She pulled out two vials with a red-orange liquid from her coat, handing them to the soldiers. "These are endurance potions. They'll help you regain strength and keep it for a while longer."

The first soldier nodded. "Thank you. We'll be sure to bring any wounded back here."

Both men drank the contents of the vials and gave them back to the medic before leaving the pod. Adrian suddenly groaned, holding his head in his hands. Lila hugged him lightly, and the wither skeleton eventually let his hands drop.

"We need to be fast," he gasped. "Nightsky needs help."

Lady June walked back inside, followed by lady Cassidy. The gang got to its feet. Izabell stood next to me, hurriedly storing vials and potion bottles in her purse. Freud helped the enderman queen walk back to the bench while the spider queen gathered us quietly in a corner.

"Lady Cassidy wouldn't tell me the exact location," she began. "But she told me in which city it is and who to talk with to reach the portal."

"Adrian had another headache," Lila told her. "He says we need to hurry."

The spider queen nodded. "The End portal is hidden beneath Globe Chapel city. We need to ask the guards at the entrance to take us there, and give them this."

She opened Eba's palm and placed a small, black, triangular item there. Adrian seemed to recognize it immediately. "An enderdragon scale."

Lady June nodded. "When they see this, we'll be teleported to the room which contains the end portal. At least, if Darkness didn't break in forcibly."

Eba curled her fist around the shiny scale and tucked it into one of her pockets. She looked worried even as she did this. "Even if only I travelled onboard the airship towards Globe Chapel City, we'd never make it in under six to eight hours."

"All the monarchs have a special railway connecting our kingdoms together," the spider queen told us. "Kings and queens before us built this railway in case one of our fellow monarchs needed help. It's how Adam and I arrived here at around the same time as Cassidy did when Troyel sent for us."

"How fast is the railway?" Thomas asked.

Lady June smiled. "Faster than you would believe. I can lead you to the entrance, but there is only ten carts on the railway. And if the entrance is compromised, I will have to protect you while you get the railway running."

Thomas nodded, and the spider queen walked towards the entrance, gesturing for us to follow. She opened the door slightly before closing it without a sound. "That enderman is still there. We won't be able to avoid it this time."

Jack drew his shortsword. "Let's make quick work of it."

I stopped him from opening the door with one hand and brought out one of my sticks of dynamite. "I'll distract it and then we run. There's no time to waste battling a single monster that could alert a dozen others. The creeper explosions should mask this one as well."

The stray nodded. I got ready beside the doorway and lit the fuse. "Run through in three... two..."

I threw open the door, tossing the explosive up at the enderman. The monster's eyes widened when it saw the device, but it was too late to teleport away. The dynamite blew up in its face, tossing the monster flat on its back above the building. "One!"

I stood aside while everyone else rushed out, being led back to the skeleton king's castle by lady June. Thomas was the last one out, and I closed the door before running after them. The enderman got to its feet unsteadily, kneading its eyes with its hands. We slipped into an alley before it could regain the rest of its bearings.

The way to the castle was even more treacherous. The buildings here looked like they only stood because of frail, makeshift pillars probably built by lady Cassidy's men. There were more endermen sitting on roofs of tall buildings, and we had to change course at least a dozen times. It took all we had to not stop and help the other soldiers defending Veridon's citizens.

Eventually, we arrived at the castle. Endermen were perched on its towers as well, and castle guards were battling more of the monsters at the castle gates. I handed Izabell one of my shortswords when I saw this. Lady June didn't hesitate to run in and help the guards, and we followed suit. Sarah intentionally shot at some of the endermen so we'd have less to deal with.

I rushed forward, cutting a monster behind its knee. The enderman fell on its side, and the guard finished it off with a blow to the head. I gave the soldier a quick nod before moving on to help the next one. The endermen sitting atop the towers stood up and roared before teleporting down with us. Five other monsters teleported to the castle gate as well.

I helped a guard, and then ran up to lady June and helped her fend off another enderman. The spider queen grimaced. "We have to keep moving. Otherwise, we'll never make it to the railway."

I looked around. The monsters outnumbered the castle guards three to two, and they would never survive if we left them now. _There's gotta be_ _something we can do..._

Lady June placed a hand on my shoulders. "We need to move. Otherwise, these men's sacrifice will be in vain."

Thoughts whirled all over in my head. Then I got an idea. "Let's bring them with us. The endermen will be easier to fight inside, as they will have less room."

The spider queen blinked at me and then nodded. "Very well. Make sure all your friends are following us."

I nodded back and ran towards Valory, who was the closest. Lady June whistled to get the soldier's attention and gestured to the castle entrance. "Inside, men! It will be easier to defend ourselves!"

The guards kept the endermen back before turning tail and running into the castle. Some of the more stubborn guards refused to retreat, but were convinced by the others and led inside. I ran up to everyone else, telling the gang to follow. Thomas and Adrian brought up the rear, defending us from the monsters.

Once we made it inside, the both of them closed the large wooden gate and locked it with large metal pipes. The castle felt ominously quiet, and to my surprise the endermen didn't follow us inside.

Eba walked over and whispered in my ear. "Blight says the endermen are probably destroying the castle's foundations. They want to bring it down on top of us."

"I hadn't thought of that. We need to go." I walked up to lady June. "Your highness, we don't have much time. Eba says the endermen could be planning to make the castle crumble in on itself. Lead us to the railway."

The spider queen nodded, and adressed the guards. "Follow me, men. We must travel deeper into the castle; the monsters want to bring it down. The center foundations will be harder for them to topple with us nearby."

The guards gave her a salute, and lady June ran down the hallway. We followed her, and our footsteps echoed all over the walls. The spider queen led us down branches in the corridors, heading to what I assumed was the center of the castle. Every so often, I would hear the sound of a brick falling, and the sounds would get louder the further we traveled.

I informed lady June of this, and the queen grimaced. "They're Trying to break the castle's supports. The endermen built it so most of the roof and towers' weight would fall on four central pillars. If these go down, so will the rest of the castle. The railway entrance is in the same room as the supports. We must hurry."

Despite how tired the spider queen looked, she pushed harder. We turned two more corners and entered a large room. Four massive and masterfully carved pillars of stone stood there. Their beauty would have been more visible if there wasn't half a dozen endermen crawling on it, removing bricks one by one.

The monsters must've heard our footsteps, because the second we entered they all turned their heads toward us and roared. Lady June pointed out a dark doorway on the other side of the room.

"That's the entrance to the railway," the spider queen told me. "It should be fairly simple to start up. Get your friends over there now, we'll deal with the endermen!"

Lady June and the castle guards rushed forward to meet the four endermen that had hopped off the pillars. Two others remained, still removing bricks and softening the pillars. I gestured for the gang to follow me, and we ran around the edge of the large room.

The roof had spaces that were glass instead of stone, as if sunlight was supposed to be the main source of light. But with the thunderstorm Darkness conjured up, no sunlight got through. Thankfully, torches lined the walls, giving us enough light to see where we were going. Three more endermen teleported into the room, one clinging to another pillar while the other two stood in our path.

I brought out my shortswords and grappled with one while Jack, who had been behind me, kept the other one at bay. We quickly outnumbered and eliminated the endermen before continuing on. We finally reached the dark entrance, and glowstone lamps lit up the second we stepped foot inside. There were six sets of ten minecarts, with different color accents.

These minecarts looked much sleeker and tougher than regular ones, and the powered rails beneath them looked beefier than most. The front cart had a sort of curved window in the front, possibly so the wind and dust wouldn't harm whomever sat in it. There was a control pad on the wall with buttons, levers and tags on each item.

Thomas nudged Sarah towards the carts, addressing everyone. "Get into the carts, guys. Can you get these things going, Simon?"

I scoffed. "There hasn't been a mechanism I can't understand as of yet. Hurry up and climb on."

The boy smiled at me before getting into the cart behind Sarah. Everyone else but Izabell followed suit. I stared at the slime girl. "Go on, Z. I'll be right behind you."

Her gaze flickered worriedly from me, to the carts, to the battle still going on inside the support pillar room. Eventually she exhaled and got into a cart. I looked the control panel over. There was a list of destinations, each with its own button. There was a row of levers with names of the clans, and six more buttons beneath them. A sign, carved in stone, hung beside the panel.

'Select railway train (ex; Creeper Clan), select destination (ex; Malachite), select departure time (ex; ten seconds). Keep hands and feet within the train at all times. Use this railway with utmost care.'

The buttons beneath the levers read 'immediate', 'ten seconds', '30 seconds', '1 minute,' '5 minutes' and '10 minutes'. I looked at the gang over my shoulder. Everyone was in their own carts, either staring impatiently at me or looking through the doorway into the large room.

I lowered the 'Skeleton Clan' lever after making sure it was the one where the gang had gotten in. I pushed the buttoned labeled 'Globe Chapel City' and stared at my friend again. "Everyone ready?"

They all nodded, and Sarah demanded I hurry up. I pushed the 'ten seconds' button and hopped into one of the carts. The powered rails came to life and actually rose a little, glowing a faint red hue. We were lifted as well, and a whirring sound emanated from beneath us, as if something were charging up.

An enderman teleported in front of us, bleeding from its shoulder. The monster took hold of the front cart where Izabell was sitting, and it roared at the slime girl. But before any of us could react, the train shot forward. The enderman was barreled over by the train, and we left him behind within a second.

We began picking up even more speed as we traveled straight down the tunnel. We were all still getting over the shock of the sudden enderman attack. I hugged Izabell's neck from my cart, and she held on tightly to my hand. Everyone sat quietly as we hurtled into the darkness. The only light visible was from the powered rails.

Our section of rails split off from the rest after a couple minutes, and we descended further into darkness. Surprisingly, the train made very little sound. Only a slight whirring of wheels and humming from the powered tracks.

Twenty more seconds passed before anyone spoke a word. "At least we finally have peace and quiet," Jack commented.

Sarah sighed. "And you had to ruin it."

"How long do you think the trip will take?" Eba asked from the back.

"We're traveling at around eight times the speed of the Auikyani," I answered. "It should be twenty more minutes before we reach Globe Chapel City."

Adrian sighed. "I wish we could simply teleport there. Nightsky needs our help now."

Eba rubbed her arm. "I can't teleport all of us without passing out. Sorry..."

"I know," the wither skeleton told her. "Don't worry about it."

"Do we have a battle plan?" Lila asked no one in particular.

"We kill Darkness," Thomas answered drily.

Jack hummed. "So no battle plan."

Sarah slapped the back of his head, and the rest of the Journey was spent in silence.

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3rd person POV

The gang emerged from the railway within Globe Chapel City's famous namesake. They looked shocked and a little roughed up, possibly from the screeching produced by the train as it slowed to a stop. There were guards standing on either side of the railway entrance, and they looked surprised to see Thomas and his friends.

The boy straightened, addressing the guards. "We need to reach the End portal."

One of the guards huffed. "Right. You're coming with us to a pod, kids."

Simon stepped forward. "You know of the battle going on at Veridon?"

The other guard nodded. "Of course. Half of the city's troops were transferred to take part in the fight."

"And do you know what the threat is?" Simon pressed.

The first enderman looked at his partner. "Heard it was something like ten thousand monsters."

"Not just ten thousand monsters," Sarah put in. "That army is being led by a demon."

The guards looked skeptical. "Demons haven't been around for fifty years."

Jack walked around Simon, taking off his (though he refused to think of it as such) crown. "My uncle thought so too. Everyone did. We were wrong."

The first enderman stared at the crown. "Is that king Troyel's crown?"

The second blinked. "So then, you're prince Jack?"

The stray nodded, putting the crown back on. "King Jack, sadly. The demon, Darkness, killed my uncle. We believe he fled to the end, aiming to slay the enderdragon."

The guards thought about his words for a second. "What makes you think this demon wants to kill the enderdragon?"

Now it was Adrian's turn to step up. "I share a connection with Nightsky. She's been locked in a battle with Darkness for the past hour. We need to help her."

One of the endermen frowned. "How do you know the enderdragon's name?"

Lila huffed in exasperation. "He just told you!"

Eba nudged her way forward, taking the dragon scale out of her pocket. "Look at this."

The guards stared at the glossy black scale. "Lady Cassidy gave it to us," the endergirl explained. "Please, take us to the End portal."

The endermen looked at each other for a moment. "Very well." The first guard whistled, catching the attention of three more guards.

He waved them over, quickly explaining what they were about to do. "Right, each of us will teleport two of you to the End portal room. Hold still, and stand still once we're there."

The gang nodded, and each guard placed a hand on the shoulders of two teens. Then they warped through fifty meters of stone and earth into a large hallway. The guards stood aside, walking towards an iron door on the far end of the hallway. The first enderman knocked on the door, the sound of dull metal reverberating al, over.

There was some quiet shuffling on the other side, and then a muffled voice spoke. "Who is it?"

"It's Nathan," the man answered. "We have a group of kids that want to check up on the enderdragon. They have a scale and claim to have gotten it from the Queen."

"Where'd they come from?"

"They came out of the royal railway entrance, and they say they came from Veridon."

"Why do they want to see the enderdragon?"

The guard hesitated for a moment. "They said the queen wanted them to check up on her. Who knows, the monsters might have some beef with Nightsky."

Thomas stared at the enderman in confusion, but the guard simply nodded and gestures for him to wait. "Alright," the voice on the other side spoke. "I'll open the door."

The guard approached Thomas as another enderman opened the iron door from the other side. "It would take too long to explain what you told us, and if you're right, time is something we can't waste."

Adrian nodded. "Thank you."

The group walked through the door in a single file line. The guard who opened the door looked them over as they passed, and started talking to one of the other endermen once they were through and he had closed the door. The first enderman led the gang forwards, and into a large room. In the center was the enderportal, lifted by iron pillars over a pool of lava, with a tall stone staircase leading up to it.

The guard gestured to the portal. "Here it is. I'll accompany you to the other side, Alright?"

Thomas smiled. "Thanks for your help."

The enderman nodded. "You're welcome. Now go."

The boy stared at the portal. It looked like a starry night sky, welcoming and threatening at the same time. Thomas hesitated for a moment, and Sarah walked past him. "See you on the other side," she told him, jumping into the portal.

Thomas blinked, surprised, before swallowing his fear and jumping after the skeleton girl. One by one, the others followed. Thomas stood in a small room, made of coarse yellow stone. The guard entered last, looking at everyone in turn. "Everyone's here, right? Nobody missed the portal and fell into the lava?"

Suddenly, Adrian groaned loudly, falling to his knees. Lila was beside him in an instant, trying to calm the boy down. Tears began streaming down the wither skeleton's cheeks, and his groans became shouts of anguish. He held his head like he was afraid it would burst, pressing it against the stone floor.

The gang crowded around him, asking Lila what was going on and if he was okay. The cave spider angrily barked at them to give Adrian some space. Eventually, the wither skeleton's shouts died down to sobs, and then were gone completely. Lila kneeled beside him. "Adrian? Are you alright?"

The boy shook his head, not opening his eyes. "She's dead. Nightsky's dead. Darkness got her. We're too late."

The enderman guard rushed out the room up a set of stairs. Everyone stood around in shock, still processing what Adrian had told them. The wither skeleton stood up on shaking legs, breathing unevenly. Thomas followed the guard up the stairs, and found him kneeling beside the corpses of two other guards. The man had his eyes closed, whispering something under his breath.

Thomas walked up to him, and the enderman opened his eyes, gesturing to burn marks on the stone walls. "Your friend was right. A demon was here. And if he's right about this, then the enderdragon is truly dead. The hidden citadel is at risk."

Everyone else rushed up the stairs, stopping behind Thomas. Adrian was the last up with Lila at his side. The guard stood up slowly. "You kids are too young to be hunting demons."

Thomas stared at his friends. They were too young to die at the hands of such a foul monster. The boy supposedly had lives to spare, but what about them? If one of his friends died, then... then they were gone for good.

Sarah took Thomas' hand. "If we don't, then Darkness will keep attacking cities until there are none left standing."

"We traveled all this way to fight a demon, and that's exactly what we are going to do," Simon told him.

"I have a bone to pick with Darkness," Kaitlin added. Flames were already drifting up from her eyes and hair.

Jack nodded. "So do I."

Valory drew her spear. "I'll never forgive him for killing Nightshade."

Eba looked determined to fight. "I have my own score to settle. Darkness hurt my friend, and I won't forgive that."

Izabell took a step forward. "I won't fight, but I'll try to keep all of you alive."

Adrian took a deep breath. "I will avenge Nightsky, no matter what."

Lila brought out some shurikens. "And I will fight alongside my friends."

Thomas stared at them for a moment. "I can't ask you to do this," he began.

Kaitlin crossed her arms. "And you can't stop us either."

Thomas took a deep breath and smiled. He turned to face the guard. "Evacuate the citadel. We'll handle Darkness."

The enderman nodded before teleported away. Thomas and his friends brought out their weapons, running up the rest of the stairs. They walked out through an arch onto a barren expanse. Tall, black pillars formed a wide circle on the yellow island, and a large black silhouette lay motionless in the middle. Thomas felt like he'd seen this before, and he stopped Adrian before the wither skeleton could run forwards.

Footsteps echoed in the otherwise empty and quiet realm. A person emerged from the suffocating darkness of the end, with eyes black as a moonless night and a disturbing smile on his face. "Hello, brother. It has been so long since the last time we properly met."

Thomas' friends stood on either side of him, except for Izabell who stayed behind them. "An eternity would not have been long enough, Darkness."

Adrian tried to push his way past Thomas. "You killed Nightsky," he growled.

The black demon's smile widened. "Yes. A worthy opponent, for a century-old flying rat."

Together, Lila and Thomas held Adrian back. "Not yet," Lila hissed.

Thomas took a step forward after making sure Adrian wasn't going to break formation. "Give up, Darkness. We outnumber you ten to one."

Darkness chuckled. "Yes, and you outnumbered my shadow eleven to one." He pointed at the crown on Jack's head. "How did that work out for you?"

Jack huffed, once again regretting not having any crossbow bolts. The demon went on before Thomas could speak. "Plus, my shadow didn't have... this."

Darkness summoned a large scimitar, slicing the air slowly with it. Just above the hilt was a glowing orange orb. "You've seen what my weapon can do, brother." The demon laughed. "I said I would shatter the sky, and I did!"

Thomas held his broadsword tightly. "You were cowering behind a horde of monsters then. It's only you and us now."

The demon's wicked and disturbing smile returned. "Yes. No more barriers. Nothing between you and me." Darkness crouched a little and then ran at full speed towards them. "Just what I've been wanting!"

Sarah fired the six arrows she had left, while Kaitlin's started throwing fireballs. Darkness deflect and dodged the proyectiles, setting his sights on Thomas. Everyone charged, and the demon expertly parried attacks. He locked blades with Adrian, and shoved the wither skeleton back before whirling around and bringing his sword down on Simon's.

Flames erupted from Kailtin's hands, causing the demon to back off from the creeper boy. Thomas used the opportunity to swing at Darkness, but the attack was blocked and his opponent stepped back, smiling on the edge of insanity. "This is exactly what I wanted! A real fight!"

The demon ran towards Eba, exchanging blows with the endergirl before parrying an attack before shoving her back and onto the ground. Darkness raised his sword, but before he could land a killing blow on Eba, Blight summoned a shadow and blocked the attack.

The rot demon caught Darkness by surprise, managing to push him back with his sword. Everyone closed in on the two demons, but Darkness summoned a wall of black flames around them. He and Blight started circling each other with their weapons ready.

The black demon's eyes widened for a moment. "I remember you. You were the little shit who thought he could tear down my forest."

Blight glared at him. "It was not your forest, Darkness."

"It will be soon. Tell me, how has you vessel been? Ooh, wait, I forgot," he taunted. "I destroyed it. Burned it to a crisp until there was nothing left. Do you remember that?"

Blight huffed. "I do. I won't ever forget." Then he smiled. "But I have a new vessel now."

From behind him, Eba pushed through the flames in the Dreadnaught armor. Blight's shadow dissolved, and the endergirl gave Wrath a mighty swing that sent the unarmored demon flying even though he tried to block it. The wall of fire went up in some, and the demon rolled twice before stumbling to a stop.

Darkness picked himself up, glaring poisonous daggers at Eba. The endergirl glared back under the armor's helmet, one hand holding Wrath while the other beckoned the demon closer. Darkness roared, running towards her. Eba swung her longsword, but the black demon parried the attack, locking swords with the endergirl.

Darkness started pushing her back even with the armor, a wicked smile stretching his lips. Thomas ran around Eba, swinging the obsidian sword at the demon. Darkness shoved the endergirl back before raising his sword to block Thomas' swing. Adrian rushed the demon from the other side, but Darkness stopped him in his tracks with a fireball the wither skeleton just about managed to avoid.

Lila, who had swapped her skates for her boots on the ride back to Veridon, ran around the demon while throwing shurikens at him. Only a couple actually managed to land, the others having either been disintegrated by a fireball of blocked with a sword. Darkness was still exchanging blows with Thomas, the boy barely managing to keep pace with him.

Adrian charged at the demon once again, shoving him off Thomas with his broadsword. Darkness swung his sword and blocked the other's attacks, throwing fireballs and avoid Kaitlin's own. He swung a full circle to keep the gang back and charged Adrian, knocking him back.

He locked swords with the wither skeleton. "You should have been here sooner," the demon taunted. "You would have been able to watch Nightsky writhe under my sword, been able to hear her pitiful cries!"

Adrian weakened beneath the demon's sword at his words, but then his eyes hardened and he pushed back with more strength. "I should have. But at least now I can watch you die!"

He shoved Darkness back and swung before the demon had time to retaliate. He left a long gash on Darkness' torso, earning a glare from the demon. Sarah, despite only having her large knife, ran at him. The black demon blocked her attack and elbowed the skeleton girl hard, causing her to fall on her back.

Thomas drew Darkness' attention before he could attack Sarah. The demon's attacks were savage, and Thomas could no longer keep up. Darkness managed to catch the boy's shoulder with one swing, melting through his armor and leaving a gash beneath. Thomas screamed in agony, trying to hold his injured shoulder without dropping the obsidian sword.

Kaitlin threw fireballs at Darkness before he could attack again, and the demon tried to block all of them while trying to reach the blaze princess. Kaitlin stopped her assault, glaring at the demon, before breathing in. Darkness slowed to a stop with his sword down, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Kaitlin summoned two fireballs on either hand, holding them palms up, before exhaling a tornado of flames on the demon. Darkness waited within the inferno, ignoring his vessel's cries as it melted around him. "You're just like your father," he muttered to himself.

Before he could escape his vessel however, an explosion threw him out of the inferno and sent him rolling on the rough yellow endstone. Darkness got up slowly, smoke billowing from the burnt remains of his clothing. There were burn marks all over him, and half of his face had almost been melted right off his skull, but his black eyes were unharmed.

Simon ran around Kaitlin, throwing another stick of dynamite at Darkness. The demon threw a fireball back, blowing up the explosive mid-air. Simon ran through the leftover smoke and brought his shortswords down on Darkness. The demon raised his sword just in time to parry the attack, knocking one of the blades out of Simon's hand.

Darkness swung three more times in rapid succession, and he sent the creeper boy's other sword clattering away with a fourth attack. The black demon grabbed Simon by the throat, lifting him off his feet and glaring at him. "You annoying creeper boy!"

Simon gasped for breath, glaring back at Darkness. "I'm not.. just annoying... I'm clever too." He pulled a spike-enade from his hoodie's pockets, lighting it and stabbing it deep into Darkness' shoulder before freeing himself from the demon's grasp by kicking out against his chest.

The device blew up before Darkness could pull it out of his shoulder, sending both him and the creeper boy flying away. Izabell gasped from where she was, healing Thomas' injured shoulder, before running towards the creeper boy. She knelt down beside Simon and turned him over. It looked like most of the injuries and burns were shallow, but half of his hoodie had been burned right off.

Simon groaned, sitting up slowly. Izabell helped him, digging through her medical purse for another healing potion. She had already used all but one of her potions keeping her friends alive. The slime girl brought out the last vial, giving it to Simon. The boy thanked her with a tired raspy voice before downing the contents.

"Ah... I guess I'm... going to need a new hoodie or something..." he muttered, healing his own burns.

Darkness got up again, breathing heavily. He stared at Simon and Izabell, his eyes holding infinite hatred for the creeper boy. The demon raised his sword and roared, charging towards them. Darkness reached them, bringing his sword down towards Izabell, who looked up in surprise and terror.

Solid flames clashed with obsidian as Thomas blocked the attack from beside Izabell, much to the demon's surprise. The boy used his advantage to swin again and again, pushing the demon away. Eventually, Darkness broke free of his stupor, and he started pushing back. 5e black demon swung once, almost throwing Thomas off balance, before locking swords with him again.

"I am the stronger of the two, brother." His voice sounded guttural and raspy, possibly from all the burns. "You will never defeat me!"

Darkness pushed Thomas harder, forcing the boy onto one knee. Thomas grimaced, straining to keep the demon back, and then something caught his eye. The boy smiled tiredly. "Yes, you're the stronger one. Shame your sword isn't."

Darkness's black eyes widened, and he looked down at the hilt of his blade. The magma-stone Imbedded in it cracked, thin white lines spiderwebbing all over it. Then it shattered into a million pieces. The orange gem exploded, sending a black shockwave all over the island. Everyone was thrown away, Darkness being forced back further, almost to the edge. The obsidian sword flew out of Thomas' hand, clattering to a stop beside Valory.

Unbeknownst to them, the monsters attacking Veridon suddenly stopped. Endermen about to swipe at a defenseless civilian hesitated before warping away. The coty's whisperers could now understand and speak to the remaining monsters. The earth shook, the chasms and cracks caused by Darkness before the battle sealing up.

The sky cleared, the mountains got back together, and all the remaining monsters fled. For a moment, Veridon's citizens and protectors couldn't believe it. The watched anxiously as endermen teleported away and creepers ran for the hills. Spider hid within any crack they could find, and every undead mob followed the creepers running towards the horizon.

The city was silent. One soldier let out a cheer. Then another. Every soldier and citizen joined in in, their victory cry reverberating off what was left of the wall. They'd won. The battle was over. The monsters were gone.

Everyone rose to their feet slowly in the End. Darkness stood hunched over, looking utterly shocked, staring at the shallow crater the magma-stone explosion left behind. Sarah stumbled over and helped Thomas to his feet.

The boy held her hand tightly, standing straight and turning to stare at the black demon. "Now you have no army. No sword. You're finished, Darkness. It's over."

The demon's gaze rose to meet Thomas'. His cheeks were no more, bloodied teeth showing under crimson skin. Only a few patches of burned hair and those jet-black eyes remained of Darkness' face. "Over?"

The demon blinked, and an insane open-mouthed smile bloomed on the remains of Darkness face. "It's not over... _it's not over, until I say its over_!"

Many things happened at once. Valory noticed and picked up the obsidian broadsword, lifting it over her shoulder. Darkness summoned a dagger, taking a step forward and aiming at Sarah. Thomas moved in front of the skeleton girl as the demon flicked his wrist, sending the weapon flying towards them. Valory reared back. "_This is for Nightshade, you motherfucker_!"

The spider threw the obsidian sword at Darkness, and the demon's dagger sailed towards Thomas. The black sword spun blade-over-hilt in the air as it flew. The demon's dagger arrived first, melting through Thomas' armor and burying itself in his chest. Darkness turned in time to see the obsidian sword, but it was too late for him to do much.

The sword hit him in the face blade-first, lodging itself upside down on his head in between his eyes. The demon swayed on his feet before dropping to his knees and crumbling to the ground. Darkness turned to dust before hitting the touch yellow stone, and the sword clattered against it, shattering just like the magma-stone had.

Thomas fell to his knees, breathing heavily. Sarah knelt beside him, looking around frantically. "Izabell! Where's Izabell???""

The slime girl picked herself up, rushing towards Sarah and Thomas. She slid on her knees once she reached them, gasping when she caught sight of the dagger. The metal was now a dull black, and it turned to dust like Darkness had.

Sarah glared at Izabell. "Heal him! Don't just sit there and stare!"

Thomas fell onto his back, scaring both girls. Eba crouched down next to Thomas while everyone else crowded around in a circle around them.

_Can you help him??? _she asked Blight.

_I... I can't. I'm a demon, not an angel. He's going to die, Eba._

_We can't just let him die!_

Sarah looked both enraged and mortified. "Izabell! Do something!"

The slime girl shrank back. "I don't have any potions left," she whispered. "There's nothing I can do."

Thomas took Sarah's hand, pulling it gently towards him. The skeleton girl started sniffling, watching the boy with fearful eyes. "It's okay," he croaked. "We won. It's alright. Don't cry."

Sarah rubbed the back of her hand against her nose. "I'm not crying," she muttered.

Thomas smiled weakly. "I... I'm sorry. But I'm also glad."

Sarah held the boy's hand with both of hers. Izabell and Eba stepped back and everyone watched solemnly. "I'm glad I met you. All of you. I'm glad I met your dad," he added with a smile.

A smile bloomed on Sarah's face, and a silent tear fell down her cheek. Thomas drew in a shuddering breath. "Thank you... for taking a chance on me. Thank you for everything."

The skeleton girl kissed Thomas lightly, fighting hard to hold back the tears. "Please don't go. Not for real this time."

Thomas' eyes slowly closed. "I'm glad to... to have gotten the chance... to hold you. And kiss you."

A single sob broke its way through Sarah's iron will."Why did you have to jump in front of me, huh? Why did you have to be so stupid?"

"I've lived... many lifetimes," Thomas gasped. "I didn't want yours... to end so soon."

He stretched forward with difficulty and planted a fragile, gentle kiss on the top of the skeleton girl's head. "I'm going to miss you... and all of my friends."

Sarah sniffled again. "I'm going to miss you too..."

The rest of the gang walked forward, surrounding Thomas. The boy, with half-lidded eyes, smiled at them. "Thank you guys... for everything."

Simon knelt down, placing a hand on the dying spirit's shoulder. "Thank you, Thomas. None of us would have met if it wasn't for you. I hope you enjoy your next lifetime, pal."

Thomas smiled again. "I might... but it will... never be better... than this one."

The boy drew in one last peaceful breath and closed his eyes completely. Sarah stared numbly at his pale face. Suddenly, like with Darkness and his monsters, Thomas started turning to dust. Unlike them, it was not soot-dark. He turned into a cloud of golden dust, carried away by undetectable wind into the void.

Sarah's stared after the fading cloud of golden dust. And she cried. She pressed her head against Thomas' chestplate and cried. She cried loudly, sobs wracked her body and all the tears she had held back finally streamed down her face. Some of the gang cried too. But the skeleton girl's tears were the ones that filled the silent void the most.

wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Approximately 2 hours later.

The gang had traveled back through the portal and the railway after removing their armor. Sarah left Thomas' armor where it lay, feeling that it would act as a sort of gravestone. Adrian walked over to Nightsky's corpse, mourning quietly. He walked around her and looked under the enderdragon's massive wing.

Beneath it was a large, smooth, black egg. "You died protecting your child," he muttered. "You were, and are, the most noble creature I have every gotten the pleasure of meeting."

The wither skeleton walked back to the grieving gang. He removed the iron replica of the obsidian sword from its sheath, kneeling down and offering it to Sarah. "It was his before I found out who he was. I believe it should be yours now."

The skeleton girl stared at the weapon with puffy red eyes. She took the sword, gently placing it down. "Thank you," she whispered.

Once back at Veridon, they were greeted by guards and taken out of the crumbling castle. The streets were full of discarded armor pieces and weapons. People wandered around, unsure of what to do now. The gang was led all the wat to Veridon's wall and then out the gate.

Lady Anastasia Lady Cassidy, King Adam and Lady June stood atop a hill with ten generals, Theridas, Pepper and Ella, as well as a sharply-dressed chubby man. "Go to them," one of the guards instructed. "They want a word with all of you."

Simon thanked the guards and the gang walked slowly towards the monarchs. Lady Cassidy looked stronger now. Lady June smiled sadly and king Adam nodded with an encouraging smile of his own. The gang stopped before them and bowed. Kaitlin ran forward, hugging her mother tightly.

"We suffered many casualties," Lady June began. Her pain was clearly written on her face. "But we survived. I believe we have you to thank." The spider queen frowned. "Where is...?"

"Thomas died," Sarah muttered bluntly. The iron broadsword sat in its sheath on her back. "But he killed Darkness. And he gave his life up to save mine. Not that I deserve it," she added to herself. Izabell nudged her friend, having heard that last comment.

Lady June sighed. "I feel terribly sorry for your loss. He was a hero, and will be remembered as such. You all will."

"However," Lady Cassidy said. "There are a few things we wanted to sort. This is why we brought the head of the Lord's Councell, mister Gunther." She gestured to the chubby man, who straightened proudly.

"As you all might know," he began. "No big decisions can be taken without the people's consent. This is what the Lord's Councell is for. During these, uh... dark times it is important that everyone agrees on everything. I am present here to witness any and all decisions and later relay them to my colleagues. So everyone is informed."

The enderman queen nodded. "Yes. And the decisions we are about to make are of utmost importance."

Lady June took a step forward. "Jack, you were crowned after the death of your uncle, the late king Troyel. Mister Gunther here did not witness this, but now he is aware. You are now, officially, King Jack of the skeleton clan."

The stray nodded. "I suppose I am."

"General Griffin perished in battle," the spider queen went on. "It is only fair you promote a captain to be the new general to replace him."

Jack frowned before turning to look at Sarah and Adrian. "Does it have to be only one new general?" He asked.

"You could name another," Lady Cassidy said, "But you would need to borrow some men from another patrol to fill the new one."

"I doubt Anderson and the others will mind," the young king muttered. He walked up to the skeleton girl and the wither skeleton. "Adrian, I don't know how long you've been a soldier for, but I know you are a captain. And I know you are more than capable of leading a patrol. I'm entrusting you to lead Griffin's patrol bravely, General Adrian."

The wither skeleton blinked and then bowed. "I will do my best. Thank you."

The stray smiled and stared at Sarah. The skeleton girl was avoiding her gaze, staring at the ground. Jack walked over and hugged her, much to Sarah's surprise.

"I know you're sad. And that you will mourn Thomas for a long time. But I also know you. You've been a soldier from the moment you learned to fire a bow. I might only be your adoptive cousin, but we are still family. I don't think it's fair to waste the talents of someone as devoted as you. You don't have to take the position, but if you feel up for it..."

Jack took two steps back, letting go of Sarah. "Then I will proudly appoint you general of your own patrol."

Sarah stared at the stray, still numb from... everything. Finally, she sighed. "I'll take the job. I don't know what else I would do, to be honest."

King Jack nodded with a smile. "Thank you, general Sarah."

Mister Gunther was taking notes on a clipboard the whole time, and he nodded at the monarchs once he was done. Lady Cassidy heaved a sigh, taking the crown off her head. "I know this is usually something nobody does, but...

"I was never engaged with Troyel. After his coronation, any chance of that seemed to wash away. But I still loved him. I don't want to rule a kingdom without him by my side. I don't have children, and thus no direct heir."

She looked up from staring at her crown to face the spider sisters. Lady June smiled, walking up to them. "Which of you is the eldest?"

Lila immediately nudged Valory, whose eyes widened in surprise. "Uh... I-I am."

The queen nodded. "And What is your name?"

"Her name's Valory," Lila told her, taking two steps back. Her sister stared at her in alarm and confusion. The cave spider simply smiled back.

"Y-yeah," she muttered. "I'm Valory. Valory Toren."

Lady June smiled faintly, kneeling down. "Well then, Valory. I believe to be unfit to continue as ruler of the spider clan, and ask you, miss Valory Toren, to take my place. Would you do me the honor of becoming the new queen of the spider clan?"

Valory looked terrified. "Uh... I..."

Jack walked up to her, taking the frightened spider's hand. Val stared at him in surprise. The stray was smiling. "Val... remember what I said before everything hit the fan? When we were talking in the forest back home?"

The spider nodded after a moment. "Yeah. I remember."

The stray's smile widened. "I had told you that I was ready to forgive. Well, now... I'm ready to forget."

Jack curled his fingers around Valory's, squeezing her hand gently. The spider blushed furiously. Then she cleared her throat and turned to look at Lady June once again. "I... The honor is all mine, Lady June."

The spider queen smiled. "Then with the lords as witnesses, I remove this crown from my head, and place it in your capable hands, and proclaim you Queen Valory of the spider clan. And don't worry," she added. "I'll show you the ropes."

Everyone clapped, and Lila squealed in excitement. Valory looked a little overwhelmed as she put the crown on, but she didn't change her mind. Gunther's pencil moved feverishly as he wrote down more notes on his clipboard. Then, once he was done, the man looked up and nodded again.

Lady Cassidy gestured for Eba to step forward. The endergirl did so hesitantly. "What is your name, dear?" The queen asked.

The endergirl gave a small bow. "Eba Delgado, your highness."

The enderman queen smiled. "Apparently," she said this and gave her generals a pointed look. "I am much too old to continue being queen. I don't have a direct heir either. So..."

The elderly queen took the crown off her head and knelt down before Eba. "Some people believe I am unfit to continue as ruler of the enderman clan, and ask you, Eba Delgado, to take my place. Will you do me the honor of becoming the new queen of endermen?"

The endergirl hesitated for a moment. A familiar gray flash passed before her eyes for a moment, which thankfully lady Cassidy didn't notice.

Why are you hesitating?

Because of you.

What do I have to do with it? Don't you want to become a queen?

I... I don't know. But either way, should a queen have a demon?

Uh... I suppose not.

Honestly, the only thing keeping me from saying yes is that I don't want anyone to try to hurt you.

Me?

If they find out I have a demon, they will either think I'm a witch and cast me out, or they will try to pull you out of my head.

I don't want to be what's holding you back.

You're my friend. And friends are much more important than a crown. I don't want to lose another one so soon.

Eba straightened and bowed. "Forgive me, Lady Cassidy, but I cannot take your place."

The queen stood up, raising an eyebrow. "Really? May I ask why?"

The endergirl rubbed her arm. "Uh... I'd rather you didn't."

Lady Cassidy smiled, nodding in understanding. "That's alright, child. Everyone has their own secrets."

King Adam chuckled, walking up to Simon. "You got turned down, Cassidy. How does that feel?"

The elderly enderwoman smiled. "I reckon you should know, Adam."

The creeper king shook his head, turning to face Simon. "While I may not be willing to offer you my crown, young man, I do admire your skills. You have big ideas, and are very capable of bringing them to life. So I want to ask you to join my ranks of engineers; the best in the whole realm."

Simon frowned, thinking for a moment. "What would be the benefits of the position?"

King Adam nodded. "For one, you get to work alongside the brightest minds and most capable hands."

"I asked for the benefits, your highness," Simon joked.

Adam chuckled again. "True. You get to create to your hearts content, working with the best materials available and most advanced tools and machinery. You get to earn a paycheck, as with most jobs, plus you get your own house and terrain plot."

The creeper boy tapped his chin. "Do I get to build and design the house? And choose the plot of land?"

The king nodded. "Of course."

Simon huffed. "I know more than half of the senior engineers hate my guts."

"They are a very prideful bunch," Adam agreed, "but they would never disobey their king. And if their king wants what they see as a child to work with them, then they will not argue. Much."

Simon smiled, extending a hand out to the king. "Then you have yourself a new engineer, your highness."

The creeper king shook his hand. "The brightest one, I'll bet."

Mister Gunther stopped his notetaking and looked at Lady Anastasia. "I suppose it's none of the overworld clan's business, but are you going to name you daughter queen of the nether?"

Lady Anastasia smiled. "I'm not dead yet, mister Gunther. And I don't plan on kicking the bucket anytime soon."

The man nodded. "Apologies."

Eba warped away all of a sudden, surprising everyone. Lady June straightened. "I do believe everything has been sorted, then, hasn't it?"

Lady Cassidy nodded. "I have nothing more to say."

King Adam shrugged. "Neither do I."

Lady Anastasia bowed. "Then I suppose we must bid you farewell."

Kaitlin's surprised gaze snapped to her mother. Theridas hugged Pepper tightly and held Ella's hand, staring at the blaze Queen. "The nether is in shambles. That demon overthrew every monarchy, and I am the only queen left standing. I'll do everything in my power to help the other nether-bound clans so they can get on their feet once again."

The gang stared at Kaitlin in silent shock. "You're leaving?" Valory asked.

Kaitlin stared at her feet. "I... I guess so."

Lady Anastasia hugged the blaze princess. "We must, nether-plum. Say goodbye to your friends."

Kaitlin stared at her mother with pleading eyes. "I don't want to go yet. Can't we stay for another while?"

Theridas leant his head against Pepper's. "The sooner we go, the less it will hurt to leave." He, the creeper woman, and Ella looked just as upset as the blaze princess.

Kaitlin heaved a sigh, walking back towards her friends. "I... I guess this is goodbye, guys."

The gang crowded around Kaitlin, enveloping the blaze princess in a group hug. A few more tears were shed. Eventually, the gang backed off from Kaitlin. Eba warped back suddenly, accompanied by Ara, Snowdrift, and Flicker.

Eba smiled. "I thought it would be good to bring them over."

Snowdrift ran up to Izabell, who scooped up the little snow fox. The blaze princess squealed, dropping down to hug the baby creeper. "Oh, Flicky... I'm going to miss you so much."

Valory quickly explained to Eba what was happening, and the endergirl exchanged a hug with Kaitlin too. "Bye... We'll miss you."

The blaze princess sat back down, petting Flicker. "I'll miss you guys too."

She stared at the baby creeper, who for once looked sad and tired. Kaitlin huffed him tightly. "I'm going to miss you the most..."

The little monster let out a sad hiss. Ara walked up to Kaitlin. "I will be sssure to take good care of him, Kaitlin."

Simon walked over to stand beside Ara. "And I will take care of both of them."

Kaitlin smiled sadly. "Thank you."

Everyone stood in front of Kaitlin, smiling at the blaze princess. Lady Cassidy ordered her men to build a nether portal, and within moments one was built and lit. Kaitlin walked back to her mother, waving goodbye again. Lady Anastasia kissed the top of her daughter's head and waited for Theridas.

The royal servant urged Ella to go with Lady Anastasia. The young ghast girl only did so after hugging Pepper's legs tightly and saying goodbye. The creeper woman and the blaze stood apart, staring at each other.

Finally, Pepper shook her head and gave Theridas a big hug. "I'm going to miss you, hun. You, and little Ella, and even Anastasia."

Theridas hugged the beautiful creeper woman back. "We'll miss you too, Pepper. I'll miss you dearly. I never thought I would get to meet someone as amazing as you."

The creeper woman sighed. "Oh, love, neither did I."

Theridas took her hand in his. "May our stars cross paths once again."

Pepper shook her head. "I don't know the answer to that farewell."

The blaze smiled. "That's alright. It goes 'may our stars cross paths once again', then you say 'and may their lights brighten our darkest times'. May our stars cross paths once again."

Pepper shook her head a little. "And may their lights brighten our darkest times."

She let go, taking a step back. The creeper woman rummaged through a satchel hanging from her shoulder and brought out a glass ball. Trapped inside was a charred, black rose. "This is for you. A reminder, and souvenir."

Theridas smiled, staring at the flower. "Thank you. Whenever I see this, I will think of you."

Pepper smiled back, punching Theridas' shoulder lightly. "You better, hun. Now go... go back home."

The royal servant held the glass ball to his chest. "I was already home." Then he walked over to stand beside Lady Anastasia. The blaze queen nodded at him before addressing the other monarchs and Kaitlin's friends.

"Thank you all for your help and hospitality. The nether will be rebuilt, and we will remember what you have done for us. Farewell, and may the lords guide your path."

Everyone bowed, even mister Gunther. Then everyone waved their last goodbyes and the nether mobs walked through the thin purple sheen of the nether portal.

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Six months later.

Sarah sat on the edge of her bed in her room at the castle. After they got over the initial shock, Veridon's citizens started rebuilding right away. Lady Cassidy's men helped a great deal as well. The enderman queen also brought over some of her best architects to help return the castle to its former glory.

Brick by brick, the streets, buildings, stores and homes were brought back up. Jack led the building efforts, and helped as many of the homeless people as he could. The stray wanted to prove himself to his citizens that he was a capable and caring leader, and so far, he had done just that. Life still was not quite as it was before, but everyone had a roof to sleep under now.

Valory was still getting used to monarch life. Lady June taught her the ropes, just as she had promised, and still advises her in many matters. She and Lila now live at the spider castle in the Grand Chasm, where an upside-down city was built just for the spiders. But the spider sisters were not the only ones who moved away.

Lady Cassidy offered Eba an apartment in Globe Chapel City after most of the rebuilding at Veridon was complete. The endergirl felt bad for having to refuse her previous offer, and accepted this one gladly.

Simon chose a plot of land between Veridon and Globe Chapel City, next to a dense pine forest in the middle of majestic plains. The creeper boy asked for help from king Adam's builders, and had moved away to his new and mostly finished house. Izabell went to live with them, which had not surprised anyone in the slightest.

The day before everyone left to their new homes, the gang got together again. Everyone talked and they had fun, before giving their friends a farewell. They promised to meet every three months, at Eba's apartment, to the endergirls' slight displeasure. Then they were off, most taking the railway to their new homes, while Simon, Izabell, Ara, Snowdrift and Flicker travelled by airship and Eba simply warped away.

Time had passed. They had their second meeting, but Sarah had refused to go. "I'm not feeling too well," she told Jack. "Go on without me."

And now here she was again. They were supposed to meet their friends, this time at Simon's place, in twenty minutes. Sarah's room was dark; the sun had not yet risen over the city's wall and the surrounding hills. The skeleton girl heaved a sigh, staring at her feet.

A knock on her door made Sarah look up. Jack peeked inside. "You ready to go?"

The skeleton girl shook her head. "I'm not going this time either, Jack. I don't feel up for it."

"Everyone missed you last time," the stray pressed, walking in and closing the door behind him. "They all want to know how you're coping with Thomas'... absence."

Sarah smiled stiffly. "Now you're talking like a real monarch. Sugarcoating everything with fancy words."

Jack sat down beside her. The young king wore a dark-gray cape and light armor, only to put his generals' minds at ease. He planned on removing it once he reached the rendezvous point. "Come on, Sarah. It'll do you good to be around the guys again."

The skeleton girl looked up, at the iron broadsword hanging off the wall beside her door. It was a bittersweet reminder of him. "I don't want to go, Jack, okay? Just... let me wallow in sadness alone."

The stray shook his head, smiling a little. "Wallowing isn't your style. Come with us. Adrian's probably been waiting at the railway for ten minutes."

Sarah turned away. "Don't keep him waiting longer, then. Go."

Jack placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thomas would want you to come."

When th skeleton girl said nothing, the stray sighed, getting up and walking towards the door. "We'll wait for you for a little while before we go," he told her. "in case you change your mind."

The young king closed the door behind him gently, and his slow footsteps followed him away. Sarah stared at the door, feeling numb. _Six months_, she thought to herself. _Six months, and it still hurts that you're gone_.

She got up, meaning to close her bedroom curtains. The skeleton girl hesitated when something caught her eye. In the center of the city, where ther once had been an old, crumbling building, were two statues a fountain. One was a statue of the late King Troyel, and the other... was a statue of Thomas.

Sarah placed her head on the back of her hands, staring at the statue sadly. Thomas was holding his sword like a cane, staring bravely forwards, decked out in his armor. The skeleton girl closed her eyes, imagining him standing in that pose right in front of her, alive and well.

_Thomas would want you to come._

He sure would. But he's not here, is he? Not anymore. A single tear crawled its way down the skeleton girl's cheek, falling onto her hand. _I don't want_ _to go... not if you're not going to be there with me._

A tiny ray of sunlight finally climbed over the city's buildings and wall. Sarah could feel it on her closed right eye. The skeleton girl sighed, moving away from the window. She watched the little ray of sun climbing her wall, trailing its way up towards the broadsword.

When the light hit the sword, a golden flash passed through it. The whole room became illuminated as more sunlight poured in. As if in a trance, Sarah walked up to the sword. She passed her hand over the blade in wonder. _Thomas would want you to come._

The skeleton girl smiled, closing her eyes, picturing that stupid boy holding her hand instead of the broadsword. Thomas would want me to go.

She quickly ran to her dresser, taking off the long-sleeved tee and throwing on anything she could find. A white dress, a grey jacket, and a pair of dusty old combat boots. She did the first two buttons on her jacket, slapping a beanie on her head and running out the door. "Jack! Jack, wait!"

The door of her bedroom was left ajar. The sunlight dimmed a little as its giver rose into the sky. But before that golden glow could fade, another flash passed from the hilt to the blade of Thomas' broadsword.

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Epilogue

A young man was hunched over his desk, scribbling things on a slip of paper. The house he was in looked cramped, made of stone and wooden planks for a roof. The windows were blocked with papers and notes, the only illumination coming from a strange green lantern in the center of the house. From that lanter, and a tiny pin-prick of light.

That sliver of sunlight touched the top of a prism, attached to a raggedy-looking bunch of pipes, wood, and glass bottles. At the bottom of the contraption lay a small vial, filled almost to the top with a copper-colored liquid. The man checked the vial, going over the other bottles before muttering again.

There was a knock on his door. "Javer!" a femenine voice called out. "The healer's been looking for you! We need to go picking berries again!"

The man looked frantically from an open book beside him to the vial. "Y-Yeah, I know, Sophie! I'll be there in a moment!"

"Hurry up!" the other voice urged.

The man flipped through the pages in his book frantically. A golden glow suddenly bathed him, and the man whirled around. The vial under his contraption was full, and its contents had changed from a dull orange to a beautiful yellow. The man carefully removed the vial, staring at it in wonder.

"You were right," he whispered in disbelief. The man put on a red turtleneck sweater, pulling a trenchcoat from its hanger on the wall and slipping into it. He picked up multiple vials, tucking them in his coat's inner pockets, as well as the book. He carefully placed the golden vial in a padded box before storing it in a satchel and slinging it on. The man returned to the slip of paper, scribbling more words on it quickly.

'I'm sorry, Soph. I know it looks like I've gone crazy since Thomas died. But I know what I heard. And I've done it! I really wish I could say goodbye in a different way, but this is much too important. I stored berries and potion materials under the floorboards; give them to the healer. I'll find him, I know I will. Farewell. -Javer'

The man unlocked his door, leaving the note on the desk. He pulled all the notes off a window and threw it open. Before he left, the man checked a calendar on his wall. "One year. Just like you said."

The young man jumped out the window, making sure nobody saw him and that his vials hadn't broken. Then he ran into the forest, heading north. _You were right. 'Gather the sun'. I did. Now I just need to get this to you. I'll find you, man. You were right._

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Author's Notes

sigh* It is done. I finished it. Just... let me get over that fact... wow...

This has been an oddisey from start to finish. I started this story after reading one I liked very much. It had a lot of views and followers, so I thought to myself; 'I can do that too'. It only took a small start, the seed of an idea, before everything began to flow.

At first, it was for me a competition, a challenge. Then, when I wrote that first chapter, it all changed. I was compelled by giddiness and the ideas that haunt my head to complete it. I found out how much I love writing, and how great it feels to write something someone, somewhere, enjoys. I wouldn't have done it without you, or your support.

I took a mini feels trip reading through many of the reviews posted from the very beginning. Honestly filled me up with so much confidence, and made me smile. Here are shoutouts to everyone!

GiggiEba, for being the first to like my story. :'D

SuperTheDoodle, for proving that I was not the only one who's story wanted to kill them. :P

RIGGBI299, for encouraging me. ;)

ThinMint, for your tips, insight and constant support. :D

Zombiesguy115, for pushing me to fill up my chapters with more effort. :)

Guests, for your anonymous support. :p

Lady Granger, for Ella's name. :)

Soviet Platypus, for praising my way of writing. :D

Thank you all so much for your wonderful support! The story wouldn't be what it currently is without you. *bows, and wipes a single tear from eyes* Thank you.

And, I must add, this is not the final chapter. Per sé. I want to publish another one, labeled 'The Final Reviews', where I will gladly answer any questions about the story and the world where it occurred. If you do have a query, leave it in a review.

And, if you hadn't noticed, this is not the end of our story. Since a long time ago, I've wanted to write a sequel. And I will; 'Knock On Stone'. I might be too busy to write it soon, as in, this month or the next, but I really do want to bring it to life.

Well, this is farewell. Thank you all, so so much, for your time, patience, and amazing support. Have an awesome day, and a greater lifetime. :D

~ LeMafiaKreb


	64. The Final Reviews

First;

-My Thoughts On The Last Chapter

I... didn't plan on it running away from me like it did. :) I thought it would reach 6k words, 10k at most but... 15? Honestly, I'm quite proud of that. The beginning, in my opinion, felt a bit rushed and slightly lack-luster, as well as a few bits after, but everything else? The fight scene, the aftermath, the epilogue? I liked how it turned out. Just like I had imagined it. :D

-My Thoughts On Knock-On-Wood (in general)

I started this story on... March. The very first of March. Chapters came quick and easy at the beginning, but they started small. Slowly, week by week (and occasionally moth), they grew in size, until the norm was about 4-6k words. It took me more time, yes, but I think that the quality of the longer chapters outweighed the speed at which I published the little ones. They usually had less grammatical errors and had more story in them.

I love reading your reviews, because not only do I receive wonderful support from many great people, but I am also given ideas on occasion. I get tips, and ideas, which helped me a lot while writing KOW. At the beginning, I had the frame of a roadmap on my head. One important piece I was missing were character names. I got Eba from my friend GiggiEba, and Ella from lady granger. Thanks, guys. :D

Reading back the story, it's... I love seeing how small it started. How, little by little, the story developed and got better. I honestly hadn't expected it would get past forty chapters. By the looks of things, I was quite wrong. But, well, isn't it just great to have a Minecraft fanfic end in a stack of chapters?

All in all, the way the story grew, and the way my writing grew along with it, is something I never imagined would happen. I itch to write now, it's in the back of my head like a gentle reminder to do what I love. And I'm glad. Thank you all for taking this journey with me.

-Now, The Final Reviews!

GiggiEba, maybe. Thank you. That means a lot to me. :D Yes, yes, I'll get on with that as soon as possible. :p

ScarOfHerobrine, well, I hope your questions have been answered. :)

I will be regularly updating this 'chapter' every time I get a new review with a question about the story. Thank you all for taking the time to read my story. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb


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